Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has criticised the Federal Government over what he described as the use of federal agencies to weaken opposition-led states, alleging that the recent actions of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) were politically driven.
Makinde made the allegations in a statement posted on his X handle on Thursday, where he expressed concern that federal institutions were increasingly being used to interfere with governance in states controlled by opposition parties. He warned that such actions pose a threat to Nigeria’s democratic system.
“The increasing use of federal institutions to disrupt governance in opposition states in Nigeria is condemnable,” he said.
The governor argued that while public institutions have a responsibility to investigate wrongdoing, selectively deploying anti-corruption agencies against certain states or office holders undermines public confidence in those institutions.
“As I said in my last newsletter, no government is above scrutiny but when institutions like the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) are utilised to witch hunt specific states or public office holders, it indicates that their investigations are selective and erodes public trust in these institutions,” he stated.
Makinde also faulted the reported freezing of an official Oyo State Government account, insisting that the action was carried out without following the required legal procedures.
“The ‘freezing’ of an official state government account without due legal process goes beyond the powers vested in the EFCC by the laws of our land,” he said.
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He further claimed that the timing of the development raised concerns about possible attempts to influence the upcoming Osun State governorship election.
“And the timing of the action suggests that this is just another attempt by the federal government to unduly influence the forthcoming governorship election in Osun State,” he added.
The governor urged federal institutions to perform their constitutional duties with fairness, professionalism and neutrality, free from political influence.
“Federal institutions must remain faithful to their constitutional mandate by acting with fairness, professionalism and political neutrality at all times,” Makinde said.
He also called on Nigerians, civil society organisations and the international community to closely monitor developments, stressing that democratic governance depends on credible and independent institutions.
“We therefore call on all Nigerians, civil society organisations and the international community to remain vigilant. Democracy cannot thrive where our institutions are perceived as instruments of political intimidation.
Protecting the independence and credibility of our institutions is essential to preserving public trust and safeguarding Nigeria’s democracy. The rule of law must prevail over the rule of politics,” he said.