The Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has petitioned the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, alleging bias and abuse of judicial powers by Justice Ladiran Akintola of the Oyo State High Court in two controversial suits affecting the state’s local government administration.
In the petition dated October 8, 2025, and addressed to the CJN in her capacity as Chairperson of the National Judicial Council, the Osun APC accused the judge of issuing far-reaching interim orders “without jurisdiction,” resulting in what it described as a total breakdown of governance across the 30 Local Government Areas and the Area Office in the state.
Signed by the APC State Secretary, Alao Kamoru, and the Chairman of Osogbo Local Government, Saheed Onibonokuta, the petition alleged that Justice Akintola’s orders—granted in Suit Nos. I/1149/2025 and I/1167/2025 – blocked access to constitutionally allocated federal funds belonging to Osun’s local governments.
The petitioners accused the judge of “evident bias, lack of jurisdiction, and possible collusion with claimants,” asserting that the judge acted outside the territorial and subject-matter jurisdiction of the Oyo State High Court.
According to the APC, the Osun State Government, through the Attorney-General and the National Union of Local Government Employees, had filed multiple suits since February 2025 aimed at preventing APC-elected chairmen from accessing LGA allocations. The tension escalated after the Federal Government released the September 2025 allocation directly into the councils’ UBA accounts on September 25.
“After the Federal Government released all funds due to the LGAs on September 25, 2025, directly into their UBA accounts, the claimants rushed to the Oyo State High Court to secure interim injunctions,” the petition stated.
In Suit No. I/1149/2025, Justice Akintola restrained the United Bank for Africa Plc from releasing any statutory allocation belonging to the LGAs. A second order, in Suit No. I/1167/2025, placed a Post No Debit restriction on all LGA accounts in Osun State. Both orders were granted without joining the elected chairmen, despite evidence submitted to show that they would be directly affected.
The APC argued that the judge’s decisions had paralyzed grassroots governance, claiming that traditional rulers, council workers, chairmen, and councillors had all been left unpaid. The party described the orders as “crippling,” asserting that essential services had halted as a result.
“It is highly disappointing that a judge will grant orders to affect the interest of non-parties in a case where it is patently clear that he has no jurisdiction to entertain the subject matter, which arose outside his jurisdiction,” the petition read. The party also expressed concern over the extension of the interim orders on October 3, 2025, which it said reinforced its suspicion of bias.
The petition further alleged that although the claimants admitted filing a related case at the Supreme Court, they deliberately excluded necessary parties and pursued parallel proceedings in Oyo State “to procure orders by stealth.”
The APC urged the NJC to investigate the circumstances surrounding the issuance and extension of the interim orders and to examine Justice Akintola’s conduct in relation to jurisdiction, fairness, and impartiality. The party maintained that only a thorough probe could restore public confidence in the judiciary.
“It is activities and practices of this nature that have eroded public confidence in the judiciary,” the petitioners wrote, insisting that justice must not only be done but must be seen to be done.
In a sworn affidavit attached to the petition, Onibonokuta reaffirmed the allegations, stressing that NJC intervention was urgently required to reverse the alleged injustice.
The two suits cited by the APC were filed by the Osun State Attorney-General and the Osun State Local Government Service Commission. In the first, Justice Akintola ordered UBA to halt any transactions involving LGA statutory allocations. In the second, he directed that a Post No Debit restriction be placed on all local government accounts in the state. The orders were issued between September 26 and October 3, 2025, shortly after the federal allocations were credited to the councils.
As of time of writing this report, there was no official response from the Oyo State Judiciary regarding the allegations.
