The Governor of Osun State, Ademola Adeleke, has called for the immediate release of over ₦130 billion in statutory allocations that he claims have been withheld from the state’s local governments. The governor emphasized that the continued blockade of these funds is severely crippling grassroots governance and causing immense hardship to workers and residents.
In a statewide broadcast on Monday, Adeleke highlighted the illegal occupation of local government secretariats by court-sacked All Progressives Congress (APC) chairmen and councillors. Despite clear court rulings in November 2022 and subsequent affirmations by the Court of Appeal in February and June 2025, which nullified their elections, the former officials have remained unlawfully entrenched in council offices for nearly a year. Adeleke made it clear that his administration had no hand in their removal, as the Federal High Court and Court of Appeal decisions were final.
The governor asserted that new, legally sanctioned local government elections were held in February 2025, leading to the swearing-in of duly elected chairmen and councillors. He accused the current occupants of the secretariats of being impostors, acting without any lawful mandate.
Adeleke further accused former Governor Gboyega Oyetola of allegedly supporting the illegal occupation with the backing of police forces, an act that, in his view, undermines both democracy and the rule of law. He also claimed that local government workers trying to resume their duties were harassed by armed police officers and political thugs.
The core issue raised by Adeleke was the withholding of ₦130 billion in local government funds since February 2025. These funds, he stated, are crucial for the payment of salaries to primary school teachers, nurses, health workers, and council employees—as well as for maintaining the operations of 332 primary health care centres and traditional councils. The governor explained that the state government has had to make significant financial sacrifices to ensure that salaries are paid, but warned that such measures are unsustainable.
In his address, Adeleke also accused United Bank for Africa (UBA) of allowing unauthorized persons to operate local government accounts. He revealed that senior bank officials implicated in the matter are currently facing criminal prosecution. The governor further questioned whether similar actions would be tolerated in major international financial centers such as New York or London, where UBA also operates.
Adeleke called for federal intervention, urging President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to ensure the release of the withheld funds and to safeguard the democratic integrity of Osun’s local governments. He clarified that the president was not involved in the alleged illegality and appealed to him to help end what he described as an unlawful siege on the councils.
“There is no provision in our Constitution for tenure elongation,” Adeleke stressed, framing the crisis as a choice between upholding constitutional order and tolerating impunity. He also urged Nigerians and democracy advocates to demand an end to the occupation of local government secretariats and to push for the immediate release of the withheld funds.
Concluding his address, the governor appealed for peaceful, law-abiding conduct from Osun’s residents and reassured them of his administration’s unwavering commitment to upholding the Constitution and ensuring their welfare.
