Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has alleged that an unnamed chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) warned him against challenging President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election, claiming the warning was followed by an extensive request from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for the state’s financial records.
Makinde made the allegation in the July 2026 edition of his monthly newsletter, obtained in Ibadan.
According to the governor, the APC chieftain cautioned him on June 1, 2025, shortly after President Tinubu was endorsed as the APC’s sole presidential candidate for the 2027 election.
He said the following day, the EFCC sent a letter requesting copies of all contracts awarded by the Oyo State Government and payments made to contractors from 2021, without identifying any contractor, transaction or specific offence under investigation.
Makinde said his administration did not challenge the anti-graft agency’s constitutional powers to investigate financial crimes but requested clarification on the contractors, transactions or allegations involved to enable the government provide relevant documents.
He noted that the EFCC did not respond to the request, prompting the state government to approach the court for an interpretation of whether such a broad demand complied with the law.
“It will be recalled that an APC chieftain warned me on June 1, 2025, against contesting the 2027 presidential election after President Bola Tinubu was endorsed as the APC’s sole candidate.
“A day after the warning, the EFCC requested copies of all Oyo State Government contracts and payments to contractors from 2021, without identifying any contractor, company, transaction or alleged offence,” Makinde stated.
The governor said he would not speculate on the timing of the EFCC’s request but urged Nigerians to examine the sequence of events and draw their own conclusions.
He maintained that while no government should be exempt from legitimate investigations, such probes must be based on specific allegations and conducted within the limits of the law.
“Accountability must be evidence-based,” he said, warning against broad investigations aimed at uncovering wrongdoing without clear grounds.
Makinde also cited the judgment of the Federal High Court in Ibadan in Suit No. FHC/IB/CS/61/2025, which he said affirmed the EFCC’s constitutional authority to investigate financial crimes but ruled that its powers must be exercised in line with the Constitution and the rule of law.
According to the governor, the court described the commission’s request as “speculative” and a “fishing expedition,” holding that demands for information must be tied to a specific allegation.
He described the ruling as “a victory for the rule of law, not against the EFCC,” adding that it reaffirmed the principle that every institution must operate within constitutional and legal boundaries.
Earlier, the governor’s Special Adviser on Media, Dr. Sulaimon Olanrewaju, said the court held that the EFCC’s proposed investigation into the state’s finances, particularly the demands contained in its June 2, 2025 letter, amounted to a speculative fishing expedition.
Olanrewaju added that the court ruled the constitutional right of the plaintiffs to fair hearing could not be violated under the guise of investigation and reiterated that the EFCC’s investigative powers must be exercised strictly in accordance with the Constitution and the rule of law.
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