Osun withheld allocations remain inaccessible as APC accuses Governor Adeleke of blocking council funds and using NULGE to disrupt local government operations.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State has publicly held Governor Ademola Adeleke responsible for the withholding of local government ( LG ) allocations in the state.
In a strongly worded statement released on Monday, the party alleged that the governor has manipulated the leadership of the National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) to disrupt the operations of councils, thereby affecting governance at the grassroots level.
The political tension in Osun State over local government control has been brewing for several years, fueled by disputes between the APC and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over conflicting court rulings.
These legal battles reached a critical stage in February 2025, when federal allocations meant for local governments began to be withheld, creating administrative paralysis in several council areas and negatively impacting ordinary citizens who depend on local government services.
Chief Kola Olabisi, Director of Media and Information for the APC in Osun, urged Governor Adeleke to stop disseminating misleading information regarding the inaccessibility of federal allocations.
According to Olabisi, the Court of Appeal ruling delivered on February 10, 2025, reinstated the APC local government chairmen and councillors who were elected in October 2022, thereby making them the legitimate officeholders at the grassroots level.
“Why has Governor Adeleke not been transparent with the people about the real reason the allocations remain inaccessible?” Olabisi questioned.
“He has been actively working with the leadership of NULGE to withdraw the services of council employees as part of a so-called sympathy strike.
“This action is a political manoeuvre that harms the very citizens his administration is supposed to serve.”
The APC statement further criticized Governor Adeleke for politicizing every aspect of local governance.
“The governor appears to prioritize political expediency over the welfare of Osun citizens,” the party said.
“Sponsoring a strike of council workers against your own administration is counterproductive and unethical. Such acts have led to the inability of traditional rulers and other grassroots beneficiaries to receive their statutory allowances and salaries.”
The party stressed that if Governor Adeleke were genuinely concerned about the welfare of Osun residents, he would immediately intervene to end the NULGE’s sympathy strike and allow council employees to resume work.
“For the sake of the royal fathers and ordinary citizens, Governor Adeleke should put aside politics and ensure the smooth operation of local governments,” the APC added.
Beyond internal politics, the APC in Osun has previously clarified misconceptions about the federal government’s role in withholding funds.
The party strongly refuted claims that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu or any federal agency is responsible for the unavailability of local government allocations.
“The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) is simply complying with the February 10, 2025, Court of Appeal judgment, which reinstated the APC local government chairmen and councillors.
There is no deliberate attempt by the federal government to block funding,” the statement clarified.
These allegations and counterclaims follow public appeals by the Osun State government, which has repeatedly urged the federal authorities to release the local government allocations.
The government has cited the Court of Appeal ruling as justification for the release of funds, claiming that residents are suffering due to the delay.
APC Calls Out Osun Gov on Local Government Funding Dispute
Prominent figures in Osun have also weighed in on the matter.
During the grand finale of the 2025 Osun Osogbo Festival, the Ataoja of Osogbo Land, Oba Jimoh Olanipekun Larooye II, made a heartfelt appeal to President Tinubu, urging the immediate disbursement of local government allocations.
Monarch Urges Tinubu to Release Osun’s Withheld Allocations
The revered monarch highlighted the critical need for funds to sustain basic services and support traditional institutions across the state.
Further complicating the issue, former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Bode George, disclosed that the Adeleke family has personally been funding the salaries of Osun State workers amidst the ongoing dispute.
The APC’s Osun chapter has consistently maintained that no federal agency is intentionally withholding local government funds.
Instead, the party insists that the delay is purely procedural, tied to compliance with the court ruling that reinstated the APC leadership in local government councils.
The party believes that once the NULGE workers resume their duties, the councils will regain functionality, and the flow of federal allocations will normalize.
The APC in Osun has reiterated its call for Governor Adeleke to prioritize the welfare of the state’s citizens over political manoeuvring.
The party emphasised that local government employees must be allowed to resume their duties and that traditional rulers should receive their entitlements without further delay.
The APC has made it clear that the legal framework supports the reinstated council leadership and that the federal government has acted appropriately in line with court orders.