According to Adeleke, the occupation of the councils has crippled governance at the grassroots and contributed to the illegal withholding of over ₦130 billion in local government funds meant for salaries and essential services.
Osun State Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke, has demanded the immediate release of statutory allocations due to the state’s local governments, while strongly condemning what he described as the illegal occupation of local government secretariats by court-sacked officials.
The governor made the call during a statewide broadcast on Monday in which he accused former local government chairmen and councillors elected under the All Progressives Congress (APC) of unlawfully retaining control of council secretariats despite multiple court judgments nullifying their elections.
According to Adeleke, the occupation of the councils has crippled governance at the grassroots and contributed to the illegal withholding of over ₦130 billion in local government funds meant for salaries and essential services.
“My dear people of Osun State, the urgent necessity to restore lawful, peaceful, and effective governance at the grassroots in our state compels me to speak to you at this time,” the governor said.
He explained that for nearly one year, local government secretariats across Osun State have remained under occupation by APC chairmen and councillors whose elections were nullified by the Federal High Court sitting in Osogbo in November 2022 and later affirmed by the Court of Appeal on February 10, 2025, and again on June 13, 2025.
“Their election was struck down because it was conducted in clear violation of the requirements of the law,” Adeleke stated.
He stressed that the removal of the officials was a judicial decision, not an executive action.
“I did not remove these APC chairmen and councillors from office. The court did. Since then, they have had no lawful mandate whatsoever,” he said.
Despite the rulings, Adeleke alleged that the officials have continued to occupy council secretariats “in brazen contempt of the law,” with the backing of security agencies.
The governor noted that fresh local government elections were conducted in line with court orders, resulting in the swearing-in of new chairmen and councillors on February 23, 2025.
“These officials constitute the only lawful local government leadership in Osun State today,” he said.
Adeleke also rejected any claim of tenure elongation by the APC officials, describing it as unconstitutional. Citing Supreme Court precedents, he insisted that no elected official can remain in office beyond the legally prescribed term.
The governor expressed concern over reports that local government workers who attempted to resume duty were attacked.
“Many of these workers were instead beaten, harassed, and intimidated by a combination of armed police officers and APC thugs,” Adeleke said, describing the development as “a grave abuse of power and an affront to democracy.”
Beyond the occupation of councils, Adeleke accused federal authorities of withholding statutory allocations meant for Osun local governments since February 2025.
“As of the last FAAC meeting, a total of One Hundred and Thirty Billion Naira of our local government funds is being illegally withheld by the Federal Government,” he said.
He alleged that attempts were made to divert the funds through accounts opened with United Bank for Africa (UBA) by individuals “not authorized by law to be signatories to local government funds.”
“What I do not understand is why a reputable international bank like UBA has allowed itself to be used to break our laws,” Adeleke said, questioning whether such actions would be tolerated in jurisdictions like New York or London.
“The answer is a capital ‘no,’” he added.
The governor disclosed that some senior managers of the bank were already facing prosecution for their alleged roles in the matter.
He warned that the withholding of council funds has had severe consequences for ordinary citizens, noting that local government allocations are the primary source of funding for primary school teachers, nurses, healthcare workers, council staff, retirees, and traditional councils.
“Imagine the level of suffering these people… would have gone through if my government had not stepped in to borrow from the state government to pay the salaries of these workers over the last almost 12 months,” Adeleke said.
He revealed that the state government had to suspend allowances for senior officials and slow down capital projects to cushion the impact, describing the situation as unsustainable.
While condemning the alleged payment of millions of naira to the sacked APC officials, Adeleke appealed directly to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene.
“At this point, I respectfully appeal to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene,” he said, adding, “I wish to assure the good people of Osun State that Mr. President is not involved in this illegality.”
Adeleke urged Nigerians to see the situation as a test of democratic values.
“What confronts us here is law versus lawlessness, constitutional order versus naked impunity,” he declared.
He called for an end to what he described as a siege on Osun local governments, saying, “Former Governor Gboyega Oyetola, please allow Osun State to breathe. Enough is enough.”
The governor concluded by assuring residents of his commitment to peace, constitutional order, and the protection of their welfare, urging them to remain calm and law-abiding as efforts continue to resolve the crisis.
In December 2025, SaharaReporters reported that the Supreme Court had criticised Tinubu’s administration for withholding Osun State’s local government funds.
The Court declared unequivocally that the Federal Government acted unlawfully by seizing the funds, holding that the action was "in grave breach of the 1999 Constitution."
Delivering the lead judgment, Justice Mohammed Idris held that the conduct of the Federal Government was constitutionally indefensible.
He stated that "the hand of the federal government was soiled" in its decision to unjustly withhold the funds and admonished the government to ensure that allocations were "directly channeled to local accounts."
The Court also dismissed the Attorney-General of the Federation’s contempt allegations against Osun State, noting that he was "in more contempt than Osun by not paying the fund as required by law."
While faulting the Federal Government, the Court simultaneously reprimanded Osun State for initiating the suit without proof of consent from the local governments.
Justice Idris ruled that since "there was no evidence that Osun Attorney General was briefed by the local governments, he ought not to have filed the case on their behalf."
In a minority judgment, Justice Emmanuel Agim dissented, insisting that the Osun Attorney General had the authority to file the suit. He added that the Federal Government’s action was unacceptable, describing it as "in bad taste because it was capable of crippling the activities of the Councils."