Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke has renewed his call for the release of Osun local government allocations, insisting that the Federal Government has no constitutional basis to withhold the funds. The governor aligned his position with the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), the Council of Obas in Osun, and civic groups who have all declared that the continuous seizure of these allocations is unlawful.
In his statement on Wednesday, Adeleke praised stakeholders for their courage. “We are vindicated on all fronts on our rightful claim on the local government crisis. 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 also addressed controversies about the removal of All Progressives Congress (APC) council chairmen in 2022, clarifying that it was the courts, not his administration, that ordered their sack. The NBA confirmed this, noting that the APC chairmen filed for a stay of execution which the court rejected. “I was not in any way responsible for their sack. The NBA’s finding has authenticated this reality,” Adeleke stressed.
The governor highlighted that fresh elections held on February 22, 2025, produced 30 Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chairmen and councillors whose legitimacy has since been upheld by the Court of Appeal. “By law, today, PDP elected chairmen and councillors are the rightful occupants of the Osun local government leadership,” Adeleke declared.
He insisted that Osun local government allocations must be released without delay, warning that continued seizure undermines grassroots development and constitutional democracy. For broader context on how allocation issues affect Nigeria’s governance, see this report on fiscal federalism and accountability. Readers may also explore our recent coverage on Nigeria’s housing policies and insights on land administration reforms, which show how funding challenges ripple across infrastructure and community development.
