Our Reporter
Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State has renewed his demand for the Federal Government to release statutory allocations owed to local governments in the state, citing the latest intervention by the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), which described the continued withholding of the funds as unlawful and unconstitutional.
In a statement on Wednesday, Adeleke praised the NBA’s courage, alongside that of the Osun Council of Obas and civic groups, for “standing up for truth and the rule of law” in what has become a long-running political and legal dispute.
“We are vindicated on all fronts on our rightful claim on the local government crisis,” Adeleke said. “The NBA’s report has declared that there is no legal basis for the continuous withholding of Osun local government allocations.”
The governor welcomed the NBA’s clarification that his administration was not responsible for the removal of All Progressives Congress (APC) council chairmen in 2022, noting that it was a court ruling that nullified their election. He argued that the February 2025 polls, which produced 30 Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chairmen, were recognised by the Court of Appeal and therefore legitimate.
“By law, today, PDP elected chairmen and councillors are the rightful occupants of the Osun local government leadership. There is no constitutional basis for withholding our funds,” Adeleke insisted.
The NBA, in a strongly worded letter to Attorney General of the Federation Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), warned that the continued seizure of allocations violated constitutional provisions and Supreme Court judgments. The lawyers’ body argued that the President had no authority to suspend local government funds, stressing that such acts set a “dangerous precedent” and weaken democratic institutions.
The crisis stems from October 2022 when former Governor Adegboyega Oyetola conducted controversial local government elections, later nullified by the Federal High Court. The Court of Appeal in June 2025 upheld the PDP’s February elections, but allocations have remained blocked, reportedly on the basis of a federal advisory issued in March.
While Adeleke has found support among traditional rulers, senior lawyers and civil society groups, the APC has rejected the NBA’s intervention. In a statement on Wednesday, Osun APC Chairman Tajudeen Lawal described the lawyers’ involvement as “needless” and “a disappointment,” arguing that the NBA had “no locus to review or interpret court judgements.”
The political tension has also taken on cultural overtones. During the annual Isese Day Festival in Osogbo, traditionalists conducted divination rites, predicting victory for Adeleke in his tussle with Abuja over the funds.
Adeleke’s advisers have since pledged continued support for traditional religion, underscoring the governor’s reliance on both legal and cultural legitimacy as he presses the Federal Government to unfreeze Osun’s resources.
The dispute has grown into one of the most closely watched flashpoints in Nigeria’s evolving federalism debate, pitting a state government backed by judicial pronouncements and civil society against the financial discretion of the federal authorities.