Governor Ademola Adeleke has commended the intervention of the Osun State Council of Obas, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), and other stakeholders who have appealed to the Federal Government to release local government funds currently withheld from Osun State.
In a statement, the governor praised the groups for upholding the rule of law and reaffirmed that his administration has acted strictly within legal boundaries throughout the local government dispute.
The NBA had earlier constituted a committee to review the issue and concluded that there was no legal basis for the continued withholding of council allocations. The association clarified that the removal of All Progressives Congress (APC) local government chairmen in 2022 was a court decision, not an action taken by the state government.
Fresh local government elections were held on February 22, 2025, under court supervision to fill the resulting vacancies. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidates who emerged victorious were subsequently recognized by the Court of Appeal on June 13, 2025, as the legitimate officeholders.
Governor Adeleke expressed gratitude to the NBA, traditional rulers, and legal experts who have supported the state’s position, reiterating his call for the Federal Government to release all constitutionally guaranteed funds to Osun’s local governments. He stressed that withholding the allocations lacks both legal and constitutional justification.
The local government crisis in Osun traces back to the 2022 elections conducted under former Governor Adegboyega Oyetola, which were nullified by the Federal High Court. Subsequent caretaker appointments and legal appeals further deepened the leadership dispute.
Despite several court rulings affirming the validity of the February 2025 elections, reports from the NBA indicate that the Federal Government has continued to recognize the sacked APC officials while withholding allocations meant for the councils.
The NBA has described this action as unconstitutional, warning that it erodes public trust in democratic institutions. The association has mandated its National Litigation Committee to engage with both federal and state authorities to ensure that funds are released to the duly elected PDP council officials.
Should dialogue fail, the NBA has vowed to pursue legal action to enforce compliance with constitutional provisions.
