SDP presidential hopeful Prince Adewole Adebayo is standing firmly with Nigeria’s anti-corruption bodies, saying they need room to operate free of politics.
Addressing reporters in Abuja on Tuesday, Adebayo commented on the back-and-forth over Osun State’s frozen bank accounts. He said there is no reason for EFCC boss Ola Olukoyede to step down.
“I don’t have proof to demand the EFCC chairman’s resignation. The EFCC is a tough place to work, and from what I know of Olukoyede, he is trying to do his job,” Adebayo stated.
The SDP leader said security and law enforcement agents face hard conditions daily, so they should get backing instead of criticism. He noted he has supported the EFCC since Nuhu Ribadu’s era and will not attack the IGP, DSS DG, or military chiefs like some politicians do.
According to The Nation, Adebayo pointed fingers at President Bola Tinubu, not the EFCC, for the confusion around Osun’s accounts. He said the President’s direct instruction to unfreeze the funds overstepped due process and hurt the agency’s independence.
“If the EFCC wrongly froze Osun’s account, the law provides a way to fix it. You can even sue for damages,” he explained. “The Osun Attorney General should have gone back to the same court, filed an urgent motion, and shown why the freeze was wrong.”
Adebayo stressed that government bodies must be allowed to function without political meddling. He said the SDP has never bashed the EFCC because any nation that wants rule of law must let professionals work, including when they slip up.
He also called on the EFCC and other security outfits to stay neutral and ignore pressure from any party.
“When we get into government, the EFCC chairman will work without interference. He should be able to freeze any account the law allows, without anyone telling him who to target or who to spare,” Adebayo said.
The dispute over Osun’s accounts has now reignited debate about how much power the presidency should have over independent anti-graft agencies.