Ademola Adeleke, the governor of Osun State, has demanded the release of more than $ 130 billion in statutory funds, which he claims were withheld from the state’s local governments.
He claims that the ongoing blockade has harmed local government and caused hardship to residents and workers.
In a statewide broadcast on Monday about the unlawful occupation of local government secretariats and the defense of democratic order, Adeleke claimed that the court-sacked All Progressives Congress (APC) chairmen and councillors had unlawfully occupied state offices for nearly a year despite court-sacked Osogbo judgments from the state’s top courts in November of that year and court-affirmed affirmations from the Court of Appeal in February and June of that year, which invalidated their elections
The governor remarked, “The court removed them, not my administration,” and emphasized that new local government elections were held in accordance with existing court orders, leading to the swearing-in of duly elected chairmen and councillors on February 23, 2025.
He referred to the secretariats’ current owners as being deposed and acting without a valid mandate.
Adeleke claimed that supporting the ongoing occupation with police support undermines democracy and the rule of law by former governor of Osun State, Gboyega Oyetola.
He further claimed that political thugs and armed police officers harassed and intimidated local government employees who attempted to resume their duties.
The withholding of local government funds was central to the governor’s address. Adeleke made it clear that the councils’ legal accounts have not been made public about the statutory allocations due to Osun local governments, which total approximately $ 130 billion, as of February 2025.
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He claimed that the funds are necessary to cover the salaries of council workers, traditional council members, and retirees in 332 primary health care centers.
He argued that the state government had to look for money and make agonizing sacrifices to keep salaries paid for almost a year, which he claimed was unsustainable.
He said that while “government is about humanity, responsibility, and compassion,” this burden cannot continue indefinitely.
The governor also pointed out that senior bank officials are already facing criminal charges against the United Bank for Africa (UBA) for allegedly allowing unauthorised persons to operate local government accounts.
He questioned whether the bank’s operations in New York or London would tolerate such behavior.
Adeleke pleaded with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to allow for the release of the withheld funds and safeguard democratic institutions.
He urged the President to rescue Osun local governments from what he described as an unlawful siege and insisted that the president was not involved in the alleged illegality.
Adeleke framed the crisis as a choice between constitutional order and complete impunity, noting that “there is no provision in our Constitution for tenure elongation.”
He demanded the release of council funds and the immediate end to the occupation of local government secretariats in Nigeria and democracy advocates.
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