Court Stops EFCC’s “Fishing Expedition” as Makinde Links Probe to APC Warning Over 2027 Election

Governor of Oyo State, Engr. Seyi Makinde

Court Stops EFCC’s “Fishing Expedition” as Makinde Links Probe to APC Warning Over 2027 Election

Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has alleged that a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) warned him against contesting the 2027 presidential election against President Bola Tinubu, just one day before the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) requested extensive financial records from his administration.

Makinde disclosed this in his July 2026 monthly newsletter while reacting to Wednesday’s judgment of the Federal High Court sitting in Ibadan, which restrained the EFCC from proceeding with aspects of its planned investigation into the finances of the Oyo State Government. The governor said the warning came on June 1, 2025, shortly after President Tinubu had been endorsed by the APC as its sole presidential candidate for the 2027 election.

According to Makinde, the sequence of events began after he appeared on Channels Television on April 15, 2025, where he responded to a question on his presidential ambition, stating that he had the capacity to occupy the highest office in the country, although he had not formally declared his intention to run. The governor said political reactions followed the interview, and on June 1, 2025, an APC chieftain publicly warned him against contesting the presidency, describing such a candidacy as “an exercise in futility” and advising the opposition not to waste its time. The warning came shortly after the APC endorsed President Bola Tinubu as its sole presidential candidate for the 2027 election. “The following day, 2 June 2025, the EFCC wrote to the Accountant-General of Oyo State demanding copies of every contract involving the Oyo State Government and details of all transactions and payments made to contractors from 2021 to the date of its letter. No contractor was identified. No company was named. No questionable transaction or alleged offence was stated.” Makinde said his administration did not refuse to cooperate with the anti-graft agency but instead asked the EFCC to specify the contractors, companies, or transactions under investigation so that the relevant documents could be provided. “The EFCC did not respond, prompting the Oyo State Government to seek judicial interpretation of whether such a broad request was lawful,” he added.

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The Federal High Court delivered judgment in suit number FHC/IB/CS/61/2025, filed by the Oyo State Government against the anti-graft agency. Justice Nkeonye Maha, who delivered the judgment on Wednesday, July 22, 2026, acknowledged the EFCC’s statutory powers to investigate financial crimes but held that such powers must be exercised in accordance with the Constitution and the rule of law. According to a statement by Makinde’s Special Adviser on Media, Sulaimon Olarenwaju, the court found that “The EFCC’s proposed investigation into Oyo State’s finances, particularly the demands contained in its letter of 2 June 2025, was speculative and amounted to a fishing expedition. His Lordship noted that the constitutional rights of the plaintiffs to fair hearing could not be trampled upon under the guise of investigation.” The court held that any request for information by the EFCC must be reasonable and linked to identifiable allegations or offences under the EFCC Act. Justice Maha ruled that Section 38 of the EFCC Act empowers the Commission to obtain information only for the purpose of investigating offences within its jurisdiction and does not authorise speculative or blanket investigations into the affairs of individuals or institutions. The judge set aside the EFCC’s letter dated June 2, 2025, and declared that any request by the Commission must be reasonable and tied to specific allegations.

Makinde stressed that his administration was not opposed to accountability or legitimate scrutiny and that no government should be shielded from investigation. However, he argued that such probes must be based on identifiable facts. “Accountability must be evidence-based,” he said, warning against broad investigations conducted merely in the hope of discovering wrongdoing. The governor described the court’s judgment as “a victory for the rule of law, not against the EFCC,” saying it reinforces the principle that government institutions, including law enforcement agencies, must operate within established constitutional and legal boundaries. “No government should be beyond legitimate investigation. Our administration is not beyond scrutiny, and we have never asked to be. But accountability must be based on evidence. An investigation should not begin with a blanket search through years of records in the hope that something incriminating might eventually be found.” Makinde said he would not speculate on the motive behind the EFCC’s letter but invited Nigerians to consider the sequence of events and draw their own conclusions. “Perhaps the timing of the EFCC’s letter was coincidental. I will not speculate about motives. Nigerians can consider the chronology and reach their own conclusions.”

Meanwhile, the Oyo State chapter of the APC has condemned the court ruling, describing it as a setback for accountability. The party’s Publicity Secretary, Wasiu Sadare, alleged that Governor Makinde was making desperate efforts to prevent the EFCC from examining the financial records of his administration. “The question on the lips of many patriots now is: Why would a governor be afraid to render an account of resources entrusted to him for the benefit of the citizenry? What size of skeleton does Governor Makinde have in the cupboard that he is keeping away from us?” the APC stated. The APC listed several projects it claimed would eventually come under investigation, including the exercise book printing contract, rehabilitation of the Lekan Salami Stadium, the Circular Road project, renovation of the Agodi Government House, construction of bus terminals, upgrade of Alakia Airport, and alleged unremitted deductions from workers’ salaries. “The truth is that he can only run but he cannot hide. EFCC and other anti-graft agencies will do their work at the appropriate time, and all the lid will be blown open,” the party added. In response, Makinde’s administration dismissed the allegations, insisting that its decision to approach the court was not an attempt to stop any investigation but to seek judicial clarification. The government stated that Governor Makinde has managed the state’s resources prudently and has nothing to hide. “Seeking judicial interpretation of the EFCC’s powers is neither cowardice nor an act of fear. Governor Makinde and the Oyo State Government are not afraid of the EFCC or any other federal agency. The state’s account books will be made available whenever a proper and lawful request is made.” The government added that the APC’s claim that Makinde’s decision to seek judicial intervention amounts to avoiding investigation is “both misleading and legally unfounded. Resorting to the courts is not an admission of guilt but a constitutional right guaranteed under Nigerian law.” The governor also addressed speculation about his presidential ambition, saying: “Let me be clear: I did not step forward in order to step down. I am going forward. I am going forward because Nigerians deserve better.” He added that Nigerians deserve institutions that serve the law rather than political interests and leaders who will defend the public interest even when doing so is inconvenient.