The political standoff in Osun State reached a fever pitch on Monday as Governor Ademola Adeleke and the state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) traded heavy accusations over a ₦130 billion local government funding blockade and the alleged illegal occupation of council secretariats.
In a statewide broadcast, Governor Adeleke demanded the immediate release of over ₦130 billion in statutory allocations, which he claims have been withheld from the state’s local governments since February 2025.
He warned that the financial blockade is crippling grassroots governance and placing an unsustainable burden on the state government, which has been forced to cover the salaries of primary school teachers, nurses, and council workers for nearly a year.
The Governor alleged that the allegedly court-sacked APC chairmen and councillors are unlawfully occupying council offices with the support of armed police officers.
He specifically accused his predecessor, Gboyega Oyetola, of weaponizing federal institutions and the Nigeria Police Force to sustain this occupation.
Adeleke also targeted United Bank for Africa (UBA), accusing the institution of allowing unauthorized persons to operate local government accounts.
“The court removed them, not my administration,” Adeleke declared, noting that fresh elections were held in February 2025. “There is no provision in our Constitution for tenure elongation. This is a choice between constitutional order and naked impunity.”
The APC and the Osun chapter of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) swiftly rejected the Governor’s claims, describing the broadcast as a ploy to misinform the public.
ALGON Chairman Abiodun Idowu dismissed the allegations of Oyetola’s involvement, asserting that the local governments operate under constitutional autonomy.
“It is surprising for Governor Adeleke to speak of tenure termination now, after his administration previously claimed we had no tenure at all,” Idowu stated.
He maintained that the chairmen have a right to remain in office pending further legal determinations, noting that the Governor should address personal grievances with Oyetola directly rather than targeting local administration.
The Osun APC, through Director of Media and Information Mogaji Kola Olabisi, further slammed the Governor, arguing that the chairmen were legally reinstated by the Court of Appeal on February 10, 2025.
The party accused the Adeleke administration of being the primary obstacle to fund disbursement.
“The Governor is a meddlesome interloper,” the APC statement read. “His administration and corporate allies have filed nearly ten litigations in various courts to frustrate the payment of allocations to the reinstated chairmen. He should withdraw these frivolous cases if he truly wants the grassroots to prosper.”
The APC also raised the stakes by accusing the Governor of inciting violence, citing the recent killing of Hon. Remi Abass of Irewole Local Government.
The party urged the Governor to stop blaming his inability to perform on Oyetola and to respect the Supreme Court’s ruling on unconditional local government autonomy.