The Managing Director of the Niger Delta Basin Development Authority, Prince Ebitimi Amgbare, has dismissed allegations that the Federal Government is using state institutions to intimidate opposition parties ahead of the Osun State governorship election.
Amgbare said this while fielding questions from newsmen in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital.
He said President Bola Tinubu’s directive to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to return to court and vacate the order freezing the Osun State Government’s accounts shows the President’s commitment to a credible poll.
The governorship election in Osun is scheduled for August 15, 2026.
He said the President’s intervention was not to weaken the opposition but to remove actions capable of creating tension and eroding public confidence in the electoral process.
“President Tinubu is interested in ensuring a hitch-free and credible election in Osun State. His directive to the EFCC to return to court and vacate the order freezing the state government’s accounts demonstrates that commitment.”
Amgbare said the President has no reason to undermine a state controlled by the opposition, stressing that the Federal Government has a responsibility to guarantee a peaceful and transparent process.
“Whatever political differences may exist, the Federal Government has a responsibility to protect the integrity of the electoral process. The President’s intervention should therefore be seen in that context.”
On the freezing of the accounts, Amgbare queried the political interpretation given to the EFCC’s action, saying the anti-graft agency has a statutory duty to investigate suspected financial crimes.
He said the agency should not be accused of political interference simply because an investigation coincides with an election.
“The EFCC does not have a political season for carrying out its statutory responsibilities. If there is a genuine financial investigation, the agency has a duty to act in accordance with the law.”
He said the timing of such actions could generate suspicion, especially when it affects a state controlled by an opposition party close to an election.
“Where an action by a government agency coincides with a politically sensitive period, people will naturally ask questions. That is why transparency and strict adherence to due process are important,” he said
