Governor Ademola Adeleke has commended the Osun State Council of Obas, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), and other public-spirited individuals and groups for their intervention in advocating for the release of withheld local government allocations to Osun State councils.
Reacting to the NBA and monarchs’ appeal to the Federal Government and the Presidency, Governor Adeleke praised the courage and dedication of the groups in upholding justice, truth, and the rule of law, asserting that his administration’s position on the local government crisis has been vindicated.
“I must particularly commend the NBA leadership for setting up a committee to investigate the Osun local government question and for demonstrating the rare courage to release the report which declared that there is no legal basis for the continuous withholding of Osun local government allocations,” Adeleke said.
The NBA’s report clarified that the sacking of APC council chairmen in 2022 was a court decision, not an act by the Governor, and confirmed that the February 22, 2025 elections conducted to fill the resultant vacancies were lawful. The Court of Appeal’s June 13, 2025 judgment further affirmed that PDP-elected chairmen and councillors are the rightful occupants of Osun local government leadership positions.
“There is therefore no legal or constitutional basis for the withholding of Osun LG allocations. I thank our royal fathers, Musibau Adetunbi SAN, Mike Ozekhome SAN, Jacob Okutepa SAN, Ademola Oyedokun Esq., and other lovers of justice for standing for truth on this matter,” the Governor added.
The NBA, in a strongly worded letter to the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, described the continued withholding of allocations as unconstitutional, unlawful, and a dangerous affront to the rule of law. Led by NBA President Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN, and General Secretary Mobolaji Ojibara, the lawyers demanded immediate release of funds to the 30 duly elected local government councils in Osun State.
The association emphasized that the President has no power to suspend or withhold council funds, citing the Supreme Court’s ruling in Attorney General of Lagos State v. Attorney General of the Federation (2004), warning that such actions weaken public confidence in democratic institutions.
The Osun local government crisis dates back to October 15, 2022, when APC-led council elections were nullified by the Federal High Court. Subsequent caretaker appointments and legal battles culminated in the February 22, 2025 elections, in which PDP candidates emerged victorious, a position later reinforced by the Court of Appeal. Despite this, the Federal Government allegedly continued to recognize sacked APC officials and withheld allocations based on advice from the Attorney General.
The NBA confirmed it has engaged its National Litigation Committee and Public Interest Law Section to liaise with the Federal Government, the Osun State Government, the National Assembly, and ALGON to resolve the impasse. The lawyers warned that, if dialogue fails, they are prepared to file a public interest suit to enforce the constitutional rights of Osun local governments.
Observers note that the Osun situation reflects the ongoing tension between state and federal authorities over local government autonomy in Nigeria, a recurring issue in the country’s governance.
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