Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State has renewed his appeal to the Federal Government to release statutory allocations owed to the state’s local governments, insisting that their continued seizure is unconstitutional. The governor’s call follows interventions by the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), the Council of Obas in Osun, and other civic groups, which he praised for standing up for truth and the rule of law.
In a statement on Wednesday, Adeleke commended the NBA for setting up a committee to investigate the lingering local government dispute in the state. The association’s report, he said, vindicated his position that there was no legal basis for withholding Osun’s allocations and clarified that his administration was not responsible for the removal of All Progressives Congress (APC) chairmen in 2022. He stressed that the fresh elections held in February 2025 were conducted in line with court pronouncements and produced 30 Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chairmen and their councillors, who have since been recognised by the Court of Appeal.
The NBA, in a letter signed by its President, Mazi Afam Osigwe (SAN), and General Secretary, Mobolaji Ojibara, urged the Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), to ensure immediate release of the funds. The lawyers’ body described the continued withholding as unconstitutional, unlawful, and a violation of clear Supreme Court judgments, warning that it set a dangerous precedent and weakened public confidence in democratic institutions. It also revealed that federal authorities were still recognising the sacked APC officials and had allegedly directed the Ministry of Finance to withhold allocations until October 2025.
However, the Osun APC dismissed the NBA’s intervention as “needless” and “disappointing,” accusing the association of exceeding its mandate and attempting to act as a court of law. In a statement by its chairman, Tajudeen Lawal, the party argued that the NBA had no legal standing in the matter and accused it of misleading the public with its findings. “The NBA is not the Supreme Court of Nigeria. They have no jurisdiction to review or interpret the judgment of the Court of Appeal,” the APC maintained.
Meanwhile, traditional religion leaders, during the grand finale of the annual Isese Day Festival in Osogbo, offered prayers for the release of the funds and predicted victory for the Adeleke administration. Through kolanut divination, they declared that Osun would prevail in its struggle but warned the state government to show gratitude once the allocations were restored. Governor Adeleke’s aides, in response, pledged continued support for traditionalists while affirming the administration’s respect for all faiths.
