Osun LG crisis: Aregbesola’s group accuses FG, APC of starving duly-elected LG executives of statutory funds

•Omoluabi has no locus to interpret law —APC

AS the battle of wits rages among the Osun State chapter of the All Progressive Congress (APC), the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Nigeria Union Of Local government Employees (NULGE) over Osun local governments allocations, the leadership of Omoluabi Progressives in the state, on Monday, warned the Federal Government to stop starving duly elected local government executives of their statutory funds.

The group, within the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in the state, further described the alleged attitude of the APC-led Federal Government of imposing illegal local government chairmen and diverting council funds as a direct assault on democracy in the state and across Nigeria.

The chairman of the group, Azeez Adesiji, who expressed displeasure over the development at a press conference in Osogbo, called for resistance against what he alleged as the conspiracy of the Federal Government and the APC to divert billions of naira into an illegal account opened in the name of ‘yes or no’ illegal chairmen in the state.

According to him, “Instead of upholding the law, the Federal Government has chosen to perpetrate fascism by starving duly elected local government executives of their statutory funds and diverting billions of naira into an illegal account opened in the name of these ‘Yes or No’ illegal chairmen.

“This is not only unconstitutional but a direct theft of the people’s resources and political brigandage,” Adesiji said. He described the development as “a declaration of war against the Nigerian Constitution and the people of Osun State.

“The Federal Government is setting a dangerous precedent by disregarding valid court judgments to entrench rejected cronies in power.

“We condemn in the strongest terms this overbearing conduct of the federal government, which has shown that it will stop at nothing to manipulate institutions, desecrate the courts, and subvert the will of the people.

“This same pattern of lawlessness is already creeping into Osun politics ahead of the forthcoming elections, and Nigerians must take note of what this portends for 2027.

“This is a brazen assault on democracy, rule of law, and the sanctity of the constitution by the APC-led administration. Those parading themselves as council chairmen and councillors have no lawful mandates, no constitutional backing, and no electoral legitimacy.

“APC’s attempt to build legality on the election it conducted based on a technical victory over a pre-election matter, despite a judgment that nullified the election outrightly, is laughable and the height of political rascality,” he stressed.

“We warn that funds deposited in the accounts of the disputed council officials must not be touched,” describing any such withdrawal as criminal. “Local government funds must be released to legitimate and constitutional authorities.

“By any accounting procedure, government allocation cannot be paid directly or indirectly into any government functionary’s account. Doing so would amount to an egregious violation of financial regulations, which the ICPC should address with urgency”.

“We charge professional bodies and democratic institutions, including the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), and civil society groups, to stand up against the misuse of Osun people’s resources as the APC’s political war chest.

“We also call on democratic institutions, civil society organisations, labour unions, opposition parties, and the international community to resist the creeping authoritarianism allegedly being imposed through local government structures.

“The struggle for local government autonomy must not be turned into an APC scheme for political capture and financial looting,” insisting that those behind the diversion of council funds must be held accountable.”

Omoluabi has no locus to interprete law —APC

But when contacted by the Nigerian Tribune on the allegation, Osun APC accused the Omoluabi group of seeking attention through political propaganda and suggested that the group should preoccupy itself with resolving its internal crisis within the ADC rather than meddling in Osun’s local government affairs.

The party’s spokesperson, Chief Kola Olabisi, in a statement in Osogbo, stated: “There couldn’t have been any need for their tirade beyond mere attention-seeking as that is the only way they could be heard.

“No fabricated or concocted side talks can take the place of the Appeal Court judgment which was not challenged in the Supreme Court.”

He described the Omoluabi Progressives’ criticism as belated and unnecessary, claiming that it is acting behind time.

“The matter of the delayed federal allocations to the local governments had long been settled by the Court of Appeal judgment of February 10, 2025 and what authority does the Omoluabi Progressives have to interpret court judgments?

“The Appeal Court judgment expressly reinstated the APC local government chairmen and councillors, making them the constitutionally elected council officers in the face of the law.

“Who conferred the status of interpreter of the law or court judgment on the busy-body members and leaders of the questionable Omoluabi Progressives?” Kolawole queried.

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