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APC urges govt to respect court ruling
From Lateef Dada, Osogbo
The Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSSIEC), and the Osun State Government have strongly opposed alleged plans by reinstated All Progressives Congress (APC) chairmen and councillors to claim local government allocations.
The Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Dosu Babatunde, warned the offices of the Accountant General of the Federation and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) against paying Osun local government allocations into private accounts of “some impostors.”
In a statement on Wednesday, Babatunde said, “When the Osun State Government first heard about this plan, it promptly acted through the office of the Auditor General for Local Governments in the State by sending a letter to the CBN introducing the accounting officers of each of the 30 local governments, such as the Heads of Local Government Administration (HLA) and Director of Finance.
“However, to our great consternation and dismay, the CBN Osogbo office rejected the list, raising strong suspicion that it planned to pay the allocation of Osun local governments into private accounts of former Governor Gboyega Oyetola’s men who submitted their names without the input of the accounting officers of all the local governments in Osun State.
“To this end, and with all sense of responsibility, we draw the attention of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to these constitutional breaches, as we are convinced that this unlawful act is being done without the consent and knowledge of Mr President or the Honourable Minister of Finance.
“We further warn that any money paid into the private account of any individual is not and will never be Osun State local government money, and the consequences for this will be severe, as the Osun State Government will take all lawful actions to redress such an anomaly,” Babatunde said.
At a press conference in Osogbo on Wednesday, the NULGE President in Osun State, Dr Kehinde Ogungbangbe, revealed that a letter dated 10 June 2025 from the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, titled “Re: Payment of statutory allocation to Osun State local government and opening of account,” signed by Okolie Rita O. (Director, Federation Account Department), was received by the union.
The letter stated: “This is to inform you that CBN has requested that the local governments should apply for opening and maintenance of the account at the CBN Osogbo Branch, through any two persons out of the following officers: Chairman, Treasurer, Director of Finance and Administration, or Director of Personnel Management.”
However, Ogungbangbe clarified that the authorised signatories to local government accounts in Osun State are the Director of Finance and Supplies and the Director of Administration and General Services, with the Head of Local Government Administration and Council Chairmen confirming the schedules.
He announced that NULGE members would remain at home until the impasse is resolved. “We urge all parties to engage in dialogue and respect the rule of law. The judiciary should be allowed to handle the matter peacefully. Until a resolution is reached, we will continue to prioritise the safety of our members and the local government system,” Ogungbangbe said.
OSSIEC Chairman, Hashim Abioye, insisted that the only legitimate political authority over Osun’s local councils are the officials elected in the February 2025 local government election conducted by his commission.
At a press conference at the commission’s office, Abioye said, “We must all condemn the partisan and biased stance of the Attorney General of the Federation and the Inspector-General of Police, who have lent their powers to back the illegal act of the hijackers without any justification.
“These sacked officials, even after losing gallantly in court on 13 June 2025, have summoned the shameless boldness to forcefully return to the local council offices, posing an open threat and menace to the public, sharing bottles of alcoholic drinks in a rude and crude manner, grandstanding on public properties,” Abioye said.
In response, the APC maintained that the chairmen reinstated by the Court of Appeal are in control of the local governments and entitled to the allocations.
Former Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Adebayo Adeleke, questioned the state government’s refusal to obey the law, stating that the high court judgement they relied upon had been overturned by the recent appeal court judgement.