Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has declared that the concept of local government autonomy cannot be twisted to justify the alleged seizure of funds meant for the payment of local health workers, teachers, and pensioners.
In a statement signed by his spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, on Tuesday, the Governor pushed back against opposition narratives notably the Osun state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) regarding the ongoing leadership crisis at the local government level.
He insisted that autonomy should not become a weapon to inflict hardship on the people by withholding salaries and benefits of council employees.
Governor Adeleke maintained that the tenure of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Chairmen had legally expired on October 22, 2025.
He argued that their continued stay in office is unconstitutional and violates precedents set by the Supreme Court regarding tenure elongation.
“The self-awarded tenure, which was an illegality in the first place, came to an end last year. If truly we are in a democracy, unelected people cannot lay claim to local governments and even tamper with public funds. In a truly practical democracy, you cannot elongate your tenure for a day without facing legal consequences,” the Governor stated. “
The Governor expressed dismay at the role of security agencies and financial institutions in the crisis.
He questioned why police protection is being offered to officials whose tenure has lapsed, arguing that the mere fact that these officials approached the court for tenure elongation is an admission that their mandate has expired.
“If you admitted that your tenure has lapsed, what are you still doing at the local councils? The fact that you file a case does not mean you have your tenure elongated,” Adeleke argued.
He further accused United Bank for Africa (UBA) of complicity, alleging that the bank violated state laws by opening accounts for the illegal chairmen instead of recognizing career officials as the authorized signatories.
“The bank is colluding with APC men without mandates to open accounts and even dip hands into public funds. This is criminal conduct,” he asserted.
Governor Adeleke disclosed that the state government has reached out to the Presidency, warning that President Bola Tinubu’s name is being dropped by local actors to shield impunity.
“The name of Mr. President is being used without his knowledge to perpetrate illegality in Osun State. Inflicting suffering on local workers is not politics; it is man’s inhumanity to fellow human beings. This must stop,” Adeleke said.
He concluded by calling on democratic stakeholders to reject attempts to truncate the rule of law, affirming his administration’s resolve to end the standoff and restore constitutional order to the councils.