Osun Residents suffering due to Adeleke’s endless litigation - ALGON Chair

By Ismail Azeez, Osogbo

The Chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) in Osun State, Mr. Abiodun Idowu, has raised the alarm that the continued litigation by the Governor Ademola Adeleke-led administration is directly responsible for the hardship being faced by residents at the grassroots.

According to Idowu, the state government’s persistence in challenging local council leadership in court has effectively paralyzed governance, denying citizens the dividends of democracy they are entitled to.

Speaking during a podcast interview obtained on Sunday, the ALGON Chairman, who belongs to the All Progressives Congress (APC), argued that the legal blockades are the only reason the local councils have been unable to function.

He accused the state government of prioritizing political battles over the welfare of the people, noting that the ongoing court cases are designed to stop the flow of funds meant for community development.

"What has been holding us down is that the state government has been challenging us in court. The Osun State government is making residents of the state suffer because of court litigation," Idowu stated.

He explained that despite the readiness of the council chairmen to work, their respect for the rule of law compels them to wait, a situation he claims the state government is exploiting to the detriment of the masses.

Idowu emphasized that following the Supreme Court verdict on local government autonomy, the 30 local governments in the state are constitutionally independent and no longer subject to the dictates of the Osun State House of Assembly.

He asserted that the councils are a standalone third tier of government with their own legislative arm the councilors who are already processing the 2026 budgets presented by the chairmen.

In a move to alleviate some of the economic hardship, Idowu also announced that the local governments have decided to reinstate all workers previously sacked by the Adeleke administration.

Describing the sackings as unlawful, he promised that the affected staff, who constitute a large percentage of the local government workforce, would soon have their letters restored and resume their duties.

He maintained that once the legal hurdles created by the state are cleared, the councils will fully deploy their resources to serve the people.