Lawyers, rights activists, and public affairs analysts have criticised the decision by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to freeze the Osun State Government's statutory allocation account through FirstBank, with some also accusing the administration of President Bola Tinubu of political interference.

The EFCC, in a letter dated August 5, directed FirstBank to place a post no debit restriction on the account over an alleged N11 billion fraud investigation. The move came less than two weeks before the Osun State governorship election.

Reacting to the development, the spokesman for the Lawyers In Defence of Democracy Initiative, Joseph Aliu, said the action violated due process because it was carried out without a court order. He maintained that the Osun State Government has the legal right to challenge the decision in court.

Political analyst Kola Ibrahim also criticised the development, alleging that federal agencies were being used to influence the political atmosphere ahead of the election.

Similarly, Osun based lawyer and rights activist Alfred Adegoke accused the Tinubu administration of using federal institutions to target the state government, describing the account restriction as politically motivated.

Public affairs lawyer Festus Ogun urged the EFCC to act with caution, stressing that although the agency has the power to seek restrictions on accounts under investigation, such actions must be based on reasonable suspicion and carried out in line with the law.

The Osun State Government is expected to challenge the account restriction in court.