Freezing of Osun account a dangerous assault on democracy — Atiku

Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress, ADC, presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has condemned the freezing of the Osun State Government’s statutory allocation account by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, describing the action as “a dangerous assault on democracy.”

Mr Atiku, in a statement issued on Thursday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, said the freezing of the account just days before the Osun governorship election raised serious concerns about the neutrality of institutions charged with upholding the rule of law.

He said the timing of the action was capable of undermining public confidence in the credibility of the electoral process.

According to him, freezing the state’s principal operational account on the eve of a major election could disrupt governance, delay salary payments, hinder essential public services and create an atmosphere of intimidation inconsistent with democratic norms.

“If there are legitimate concerns requiring investigation, the law provides due process.

“Anti-corruption agencies must not conduct themselves in a manner that creates the perception that they are being deployed to influence political outcomes or weaken elected governments at critical electoral moments,” he said.

The former vice president maintained that democracy thrives not only on free and fair elections but also on the independence and impartiality of public institutions.

He alleged that the Tinubu administration had developed a pattern of targeting opposition-controlled states through the selective deployment of federal institutions.

“The selective and politically convenient deployment of state institutions diminishes public trust and weakens the democratic order. Institutions established to enforce the law must never become instruments for creating fear or conferring political advantage,” Mr Atiku said.

He further argued that the freezing of Osun’s allocation account, coming after what he described as the prolonged denial of the state’s statutory local government allocations, reinforced the impression that government agencies were being used to punish political opponents rather than fight corruption.

Mr Atiku called on the EFCC to immediately reverse the decision, insisting that the move would hurt ordinary residents of the state.

“Freezing the state’s allocation account is not merely an attack on the Osun State Government; it is a direct assault on the people of Osun State, whose salaries, essential public services and daily governance stand to suffer. The anti-corruption mandate of the EFCC must never be distorted into a political weapon against opposition governments,” he said.

He also urged all institutions involved in the conduct of the Osun governorship election to act with restraint, impartiality and strict adherence to the Constitution.

“The people of Osun State alone must determine the outcome of their election. No external force or institution of government should, by action or omission, cast a shadow over the credibility of that democratic choice,” he said.

Mr Atiku further accused President Bola Tinubu of using state institutions to suppress the opposition rather than combat corruption.

“President Tinubu is leaving no one in doubt that he is determined to win elections at all costs. Democracy cannot coexist with the systematic weaponisation of state institutions against political opponents.

“I therefore call on all opposition parties and every Nigerian committed to constitutional democracy to close ranks and resist this dangerous drift before it is too late,” he said.