The Osun State Government has reiterated its appeal to the Federal Government to release local government allocations due to the state.
The call was made in a statement issued on Sunday by the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi.
According to the statement, the renewed appeal is in line with the recent Court of Appeal judgment regarding the state’s local government leadership dispute.
The government also expressed support for the intervention of traditional rulers and other leaders of thought to secure the immediate release of the funds.
It also cited the hardship the continued seizure was causing communities in the local government areas.
The government stressed that “before the law today, the elected chairmen and councillors that were produced based on the local government elections of 22nd February 2025 are the official leadership of the local governments in Osun State.”
The statement noted that the Presidency was aware of the facts surrounding Osun’s local government situation and that the court judgment removing the APC elected chairmen and councillors had been validated by the Court of Appeal on June 13.
It added, “As a matter of fact, there should not be any further controversy after the appeal court judgement recognising the elected chairmen and councillors who are products of the 22nd February 2025 local government elections.”
The state government clarified that there was no judicial ruling stopping the release of the funds, stressing that the Supreme Court judgment on local government autonomy had never been implemented, and Osun State could not be singled out from the other 35 states.
It explained that, even if the Supreme Court ruling were applied, “the local government accounts for such payment must still be opened with the duly elected officials of the 22nd February 2025 and accredited local officials as signatories in line with the law passed by the State Assembly as provided by Section 7 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).”
The statement alleged that President Bola Tinubu only became aware of the fund seizure from a newspaper report during the Eid holidays, and that the Attorney-General of the Federation had instructed the Accountant General to withhold the funds without presidential approval.
The government supported plans by the Osun State Council of Traditional Rulers to meet the President, describing the crisis as beyond politics and affecting the welfare of residents at the grassroots level.
