Osun Account Freeze: Accord Party demands EFCC chairman’s resignation

The Accord Party has called for the immediate resignation of the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ola Olukoyede, following the controversy surrounding the freezing of Osun State Government accounts.

The party made the demand on Friday while commending President Bola Tinubu for directing the anti-graft agency to reverse the account freeze.

Speaking at a press conference in Abuja, Accord National Chairman, Chief Maxwell Mgbudem, said the President’s intervention was timely and necessary to safeguard democratic institutions.

According to him, the party has lost confidence in the leadership of the EFCC, alleging that the commission acted in a partisan manner ahead of the August 15 governorship election in Osun State.

Mgbudem argued that Olukoyede should resign for allegedly bringing the anti-corruption agency into disrepute. 

He added that if the EFCC chairman fails to step down, President Tinubu should remove him from office to restore public confidence in the commission.

“Having demonstrated unprecedented partisanship in Osun State politics, Accord has lost confidence in the current leadership of the EFCC,” he said.

The party also urged security agencies, anti-graft bodies and other democratic institutions to remain neutral and operate strictly within the confines of the law during the election period.

Mgbudem cautioned against the use of federal institutions to intimidate or suppress political opponents, stressing that elections should not be militarised.

He further called on the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to ensure a free, fair and credible governorship election, while urging civil society groups, election observers, the media and opposition parties to remain vigilant against actions capable of undermining the integrity of the poll.

Recall that DAILY POST reported that the controversy erupted on Wednesday after the EFCC froze the Osun State Government accounts, a move the commission defended as being within its statutory powers to investigate suspected financial crimes.

However, President Tinubu subsequently directed the EFCC to return to court and vacate the order freezing the accounts, noting that actions taken by federal institutions are often attributed to the Presidency whether or not he had prior knowledge of them.