Governor of Osun State, Ademola Adeleke, has demanded the immediate release of over ₦130 billion in statutory allocations allegedly withheld from the state’s local governments, warning that the prolonged blockage is crippling grassroots governance and inflicting severe hardship on workers and residents.
In a statewide broadcast on Monday addressing what he described as the illegal occupation of local government secretariats and the need to defend democratic order, Adeleke said court-sacked officials of the All Progressives Congress (APC) had unlawfully occupied council offices across Osun State for nearly a year.
According to the governor, the affected chairmen and councillors were removed by judgments of the Federal High Court sitting in Osogbo in November 2022, with the rulings subsequently affirmed by the Court of Appeal in February and June 2025. He stressed that the nullification of their elections was a judicial action, not an administrative decision by his government.
“The court removed them, not my administration,” Adeleke said, noting that fresh local government elections were conducted in strict compliance with subsisting court orders.
He added that duly elected chairmen and councillors were sworn in on February 23, 2025, insisting that those currently occupying the secretariats are impostors without any lawful mandate.
The governor accused former Osun State governor, Gboyega Oyetola, of backing the continued occupation of the councils with the support of security agencies, a development he said undermines democracy, constitutionalism, and the rule of law.
Adeleke further alleged that local government workers who attempted to resume duty were harassed and intimidated by armed police officers and political thugs, worsening the humanitarian and administrative crisis at the grassroots.
Central to the governor’s address was the alleged withholding of council funds. He disclosed that since February 2025, statutory allocations due to Osun local governments, now totalling about ₦130 billion, have not been released to the legitimate council accounts.
He said the funds are critical for the payment of salaries and entitlements of primary school teachers, nurses, health workers across 332 primary health care centres, council staff, traditional councils, and retirees.
According to him, the state government has been forced to make painful financial sacrifices to keep salaries paid for almost 12 months, a situation he described as unsustainable.
“Governance is about humanity, responsibility, and compassion, but this burden cannot continue indefinitely,” the governor said.
Adeleke also accused United Bank for Africa (UBA) of allowing unauthorised individuals to operate local government accounts, adding that senior officials of the bank involved in the matter are already facing criminal prosecution. He questioned whether such actions would be tolerated in jurisdictions such as New York or London, where the bank also operates.
Calling for federal intervention, the governor appealed to President Bola Tinubu to ensure the immediate release of the withheld funds and to protect democratic institutions at the local government level. He maintained that the president was not complicit in the alleged illegality and urged him to intervene decisively.
“There is no provision in our Constitution for tenure elongation,” Adeleke said, framing the crisis as a clear choice between constitutional order and what he described as naked impunity.
He called on Nigerians, civil society groups, and democracy advocates to demand an end to the occupation of local government secretariats and the release of council funds.
The governor also urged residents of the state to remain peaceful and law-abiding, assuring them of his administration’s commitment to upholding the constitution and safeguarding the welfare of the people.