An Oyo State High Court sitting in Ibadan on Thursday dismissed an application filed by sacked All Progressives Congress, APC, local government chairmen in Osun State seeking access to frozen council funds domiciled in the United Bank for Africa.
The application, filed in Suit No. I/1149/2025: Attorney General of Osun State & Anor v. UBA PLC, sought leave of court to challenge an ex parte order granted on September 26, 2025, which froze the contentious accounts, as well as a reversal of the order.
The former chairmen, listed as “Persons Affected,” argued that the freezing order obstructed governance across council areas and, if left in place, would violate provisions of the 1999 Constitution.
During Thursday’s proceedings, neither the applicants nor the principal parties were present in court.
Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Musibau Adetunbi, appeared alongside E.Y. Ajayi and D.G. Egunjobi for the Osun State Attorney General, while Oluwatomiwa Fadeyi represented UBA.
Delivering his ruling, Justice Ladiran Akintola held that the application lacked merit, describing the sacked chairmen as “strangers to the suit after they voluntarily withdrew their earlier application for joinder.”
The court stated that the applicants had no legally recognisable interest in the frozen funds and therefore lacked the locus standi to seek the discharge of the ex parte order or the striking out of the suit.
Justice Akintola further noted that their withdrawal of the joinder motion amounted to an acknowledgment that they had no legal claim to the funds.
He thereafter dismissed the application in its entirety.
Reacting, the APC, in a statement signed by its Osun State Chairman, Tajudeen Lawal, said the ruling had been misinterpreted by political opponents, describing claims that the judgment affirmed the February 22, 2025 local government election as cheap propaganda.
The statement said, “There is no relief granted which directed the self-acclaimed members of the Accord Party/PDP to parade themselves as elected officers of the local government councils.”
It added that the court merely held that the objectors were not parties before it and therefore struck out their application, adjourning the substantive matter to 18 December 2025.
The APC also referenced petitions pending before the National Judicial Council and the Chief Judge of Oyo State challenging Justice Akintola’s handling of the matter.
According to the party, the reinstated APC chairmen and councillors remain lawfully in charge of the councils and will continue to perform their duties as prescribed by the Constitution.
The party urged the public to disregard what it described as attempts to twist judicial processes for political advantage, saying members should “be wary of deceits, lies and misinformation being used as political tools.”
The case is expected to continue on December 18 when the court reconvenes for mention.
LG funds: Court dismisses plea by sacked Osun APC chairmen
