Osun Governor Demands Release of N130 Billion Withheld Local Government Funds

Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State has called on the Federal Government to immediately release over ₦130 billion in statutory allocations meant for the state’s local governments, funds he said have been unlawfully withheld since February 2025.

In a statewide broadcast on Monday, Adeleke condemned what he described as the continued illegal occupation of local government secretariats by former chairmen and councillors whose elections were nullified by the courts.

According to the governor, the Federal High Court in Osogbo nullified the election of the All Progressives Congress (APC) local government officials in November 2022, a decision later affirmed by the Court of Appeal in February and June 2025. Despite these rulings, Adeleke stated that the former officials, backed by security agents, remain in control of council premises, preventing lawfully elected officials from assuming office.

“I did not remove these APC chairmen and councillors from office. The court did. Since then, they have had no lawful mandate whatsoever,” Adeleke said.

He accused federal authorities of withholding local government allocations and attempting to divert the funds through unauthorized bank accounts at United Bank for Africa (UBA). Some senior bank managers are already facing prosecution for their alleged involvement, the governor added.

Adeleke said the financial blockade has forced the state government to borrow to pay salaries of local government workers, including teachers, nurses, and healthcare staff, for nearly a year an arrangement he called unsustainable.

The governor appealed directly to President Bola Tinubu to intervene, expressing confidence that the president was not personally involved in the alleged illegality. He also urged former Governor Gboyega Oyetola to “allow Osun State to breathe.”

The Supreme Court had previously criticized the Federal Government in December 2025 for withholding Osun’s local government funds, declaring the action a “grave breach of the 1999 Constitution.” However, the court also faulted the state for filing the suit without clear evidence of consent from the local governments.

Governor Adeleke urged residents to remain calm as his administration seeks a lawful resolution to the crisis.