APC Calls Out Osun Gov on Local Government Funding Dispute

The Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has categorically rejected the recent accusations from the Osun State government that President Bola Tinubu is withholding the local government allocations due to the state’s councils.

These claims surfaced following calls by the state government urging the federal authorities to release funds owed to the local governments, referencing a recent Court of Appeal ruling that resolved the ongoing dispute regarding local government leadership in Osun State.

At the heart of this controversy is a passionate appeal from the Ataoja of Osogbo Land, Oba Jimoh Olanipekun Larooye II. During the grand finale of the Osun Osogbo Festival 2025, the revered monarch made a heartfelt plea to President Bola Tinubu, urging the immediate disbursement of the local government allocations currently being withheld.

Oba Olanipekun expressed grave concern that this financial freeze is hampering developmental progress, destabilizing grassroots governance, and inflicting significant hardships on the ordinary citizens residing across all thirty local government areas of the state.

The monarch further revealed that numerous traditional rulers have approached him seeking guidance on how to navigate the crisis. Nonetheless, he has chosen to withhold unilateral action, instead awaiting directives from the leadership of the Osun State Council of Traditional Rulers before proceeding.

In a detailed statement issued by the APC’s Osun chapter, the party refuted the narrative promoted by the state government and its Commissioner for Information, Mr. Kolapo Alimi.

The statement emphasized that no agency of the Federal Government is withholding local government allocations. Rather, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) is simply adhering to the February 10, 2025 Court of Appeal judgment, which reinstated the APC local government chairmen and councillors. This ruling legally mandates the CBN’s compliance, and no intentional financial blockade is in place.

The statement also criticized Governor Ademola Adeleke, accusing him of a track record of antagonizing traditional rulers even prior to the local government funds dispute. The APC accused the governor of exploiting the current issue to position himself falsely as a defender of the monarchs.

They went on to label Senator Adeleke as an unserious leader, noting his prolonged absence from the state for four consecutive weeks under the pretext of attending his nephew’s wedding preparations.

Moreover, the APC’s statement lambasted Governor Adeleke’s administration for disrupting governance by dismissing 1,500 teachers, hundreds of healthcare workers, and 20,000 O’YES Corps members who had been employed by the previous government — all without providing adequate replacements.

The statement highlighted that the governor, through his Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, had filed a suit at the Federal High Court seeking an order to prevent the CBN from releasing funds to the local government chairmen and councillors.

The APC went on to suggest that the state Commissioner for Information should have a more thorough understanding of local government administration in Nigeria, particularly regarding the financial autonomy granted to local governments by the Supreme Court ruling of July 2024.

According to the APC, several monarchs in Osun recognize that it is Governor Adeleke’s failure to uphold the rule of law that is chiefly responsible for the hardships faced by segments of the populace—a situation the party finds deeply regrettable.

The statement condemned the deliberate misinformation spread by Governor Adeleke’s camp on an issue already conclusively ruled upon by the Court of Appeal, noting that the governor and his party, the PDP, chose not to appeal the judgment.

It further drew public attention to the abrupt and shameful withdrawal by Governor Adeleke and the PDP of their suit regarding local government allocations at the Supreme Court.

Significantly, it was disclosed that Governor Adeleke’s administration owes the local government councils an outstanding sum of N84 billion. This amount represents funds that were unlawfully withheld in defiance of the Supreme Court judgment affirming the unfettered autonomy of local government areas in Nigeria.

The APC urged the people of Osun State to hold Governor Adeleke accountable for his administration’s questionable spending, highlighting that over N3.1 billion was expended on travels in the first half of the year alone, with no visible benefits or achievements to show for it.

They also recalled the governor’s failed attempt to undermine the judiciary in the state by trying to remove the state Chief Judge—an effort that was strongly rebuffed.

The APC declared that Governor Adeleke’s leadership has reached an impasse, describing his tenure as not only disastrous but a monumental catastrophe for Osun State. The party suggested that it would be in the best interest of the state for him to resign, underscoring that history will remember his time in office as deeply ruinous.