The Osun State Government has reiterated its request for the Federal Government to release the local government funds owed to the state. This request was expressed in a statement made on Sunday by the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi. The statement referenced a recent Court of Appeal ruling regarding local government leadership in the state. The government also voiced its support for the involvement of traditional rulers and other influential leaders to help secure the prompt disbursement of these funds. Furthermore, it highlighted the difficulties communities in the local government areas are facing due to the ongoing withholding of these funds. The government emphasized that, according to current legal rulings, the elected chairpersons and councillors from the local government elections held on February 22, 2025, are officially recognized as the local government leaders in Osun State. The statement indicated that the Presidency was informed about the circumstances related to Osun’s local government issue, and mentioned that the Court of Appeal upheld the ruling that ousted the APC elected chairmen and councillors on June 13. It further asserted, “In fact, there should be no more disputes following the appeal court’s ruling that acknowledges the elected chairmen and councillors resulting from the local government elections held on February 22, 2022.” The state government clarified that there is no judicial order preventing the disbursement of funds, emphasizing that the Supreme Court’s decision regarding local government autonomy has not been put into practice, and Osun State cannot be treated differently from the other 35 states. It further stated that even if the Supreme Court’s ruling were to be enforced, the necessary local government accounts for such payments must still be established with the duly elected officials from February 22, 2025, along with authorized local officials as signatories, in accordance with the law enacted by the State Assembly, as outlined in Section 7 of the amended 1999 Constitution. The statement claimed that President Bola Tinubu learned about the fund seizure through a newspaper article during the Eid holidays and that the Attorney-General of the Federation had ordered the Accountant General to hold back the funds without the President’s consent. The government backed the Osun State Council of Traditional Rulers in their effort to meet with the President, characterizing the issue as transcending politics and impacting the well-being of local residents. Additionally, the statement suggested that those responsible for the seizure were targeting Governor Ademola Adeleke, but emphasized that “the true victims are the citizens of Osun State.” The issue of local government administration has become a contentious point in Osun’s political landscape, with discussions intensifying as the state approaches the 2026 gubernatorial election. Both the Osun All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have interpreted various Appeal Court rulings to claim legitimacy over local government operations in the region. Despite a local government election taking place on February 22, 2025, the state governor, Ademola Adeleke, instructed all elected PDP officials, who had a decisive victory, not to take their positions at the secretariats. This directive was issued to prevent potential violence, following incidents on February 17, 2025, which resulted in fatalities, including that of notable figure Remi Abass in Ikire, Irewole local government area. Additionally, local branches of the National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) and the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) advised members to refrain from reporting for work. Consequently, operations at the local government offices remain stalled. Currently, the elected PDP officials are dubbed “seat at home,” while their APC counterparts, who were elected amid controversy in a local election on October 22, 2022, are referred to as “Yes or No.” Notably, traditional leaders, including the Ataoja of Osogbo land, Oba Jimoh Oyetunji, voiced their concerns during the recent 2025 Osun Osogbo festival, urging the federal government to release withheld local government funds to facilitate the resumption of activities at the grassroots level. The royal figure also expressed interest in discussing the matter with President Tinubu.
