By Summary
- The Osun State chapter of the APC denied claims from the state government that federal funds for local councils are being withheld, following a request to President Tinubu for their release.
- The Osun State government urged the federal government to release these funds to alleviate hardship in communities and mentioned support from traditional rulers.
- The APC countered that the Central Bank is acting according to a Court of Appeal judgement reinstating local council leaders, accusing the state government of spreading misinformation.
- They also criticised Governor Adeleke’s administration, claiming mismanagement and calling for him to resign due to his alleged failures in governance.
Osun, Nigeria – The Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has vehemently denied the claims made by the Osun State government, ruled by the People’s Democratic Party, that the federal government is deliberately withholding the funds accruing to local government councils in the state. This comes after the Osun State government appealed to President Bola Tinubu to release the state’s local government allocation in compliance with a recent Court of Appeal judgement regarding the local government leadership issue.
The Osun State government, in a release signed by Kolapo Alimi, the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, on 10 August, focused on the state government’s renewed call for the federal government to release the LG funds. The statement also explained that the state government welcomed and supported the intervention of traditional rulers to secure the immediate release of the funds in order to alleviate the current hardship being inflicted on grassroots communities. The release states, “There is no legal or political basis for withholding the allocations… the elected chairmen and councillors, who were produced based on the local government elections of 22nd February 2025, are the official leadership of the local governments in Osun State.”
The Commissioner’s statement further mentions that there is an awareness that the President became aware of the funds seizure during the Eid holidays, meaning “the Attorney-General of the Federation instructed the Accountant-General of the Federation to withhold the funds without Presidential approval.” The Commissioner concluded by stating that the state government learned that “those who masterminded the funds seizure were targeting Governor Ademola Adeleke, but the real victims are the people of Osun State, who are at home with good governance delivery across Osun State. The attack on the state has failed, and we urge those behind the illegal move to abandon the anti-people path and release the Osun local government funds without further delay.”
Osun State Government is Lying – Osun APC
The Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) noted that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) is acting in line with the Court of Appeal’s judgement of 10 February 2025, which reinstated the APC local government council chairmen and councillors. The APC Osun State chapter described the State Commissioner’s statement as misinformation aimed at making the public believe that the allocations should have been paid to the state governor, who, according to them, is the sponsor of the ongoing six-month strike embarked upon by the National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE). Governor Adeleke was also accused of not being “a serious governor, as a serious governor would not be away from his state for the planning of his nephew’s wedding ceremony for four weeks running.”
Other allegations levelled against the state government included the Governor’s dismissal of 1,500 teachers, hundreds of health workers, and 20,000 corps members employed by his predecessor, as well as the state government owing the local government councils a sum of ₦84 billion, a figure it allegedly withdrew illegally, contrary to the judgement of the state Supreme Court, which grants autonomy to the local governments. The Osun APC concluded by stating that, since it is evident that the Governor has “reached a dead end in his administrative capacity, it would be glorious for him to throw in the towel, as political history will note it in indelible ink that his tenure is not only ruinous but a monumental catastrophe for the people of the state.”
