Local council chairmen in Osun State elected under the All Progressives Congress, APC, have attributed delays in grassroots development projects to ongoing legal battle with the state government.
The chairmen also insisted that council administrations have been unable to fully implement approved programmes due to court actions.
Speaking under the aegis of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria, ALGON, the chairmen said repeated litigations initiated by the administration of Governor Ademola Adeleke have disrupted access to funds and slowed project execution across council areas.
ALGON Chairman in the state, Samuel Idowu Abiodun, said the situation became pronounced after the Court of Appeal reinstated elected council chairmen and councillors on February 10, 2025, adding that development efforts have since been stalled by what he described as persistent legal obstacles.
According to Abiodun, contrary to claims by the state government, the Federal Government has continued to remit statutory allocations to local governments without interruption, paying funds directly into the councils’ accounts as required.
“The Federal Government has not withheld council allocations at any point. Allocations are being released regularly and promptly into the respective councils’ accounts,” Abiodun said.
He argued that demands by the state government for the release of council funds into joint accounts were inconsistent with the Supreme Court judgment affirming local government financial autonomy.
Abiodun who faulted recent claims by Governor Adeleke that the tenure of the current council officials had expired, added that the matter was already before the courts for constitutional clarification.
“The law is clear that an elected council chairman is entitled to a three-year tenure. Our tenure commenced on February 10, 2025, following our reinstatement by the Court of Appeal,” he said.
The ALGON chairman explained that council officials had approached the Federal High Court in Osogbo to seek judicial interpretation of their tenure, noting that no appeal had been filed against the appellate court judgment.
He added that developmental projects contained in recently passed appropriation bills could not progress as planned due to restricted access to funds occasioned by multiple lawsuits.
“In contrast to what the governor has been saying, residents should know that delays in project execution are a direct result of these legal encumbrances,” Abiodun stated.
ALGON further criticised the inconsistent positions by the state government regarding the status of the councils, arguing that references to an October 2025 termination date contradicted earlier claims that the officials lacked tenure entirely.
The council chairmen also cautioned against linking former governor and current Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, to local government matters in the state.
“Local governments are capable of managing their affairs within the law. The Honourable Minister has no role in local government administration and should not be dragged into these issues,” Abiodun challenged.
He urged the state government to allow local councils operate independently in line with constitutional provisions, stressing that resolving the legal disputes would enable councils to focus fully on delivering development at the grassroots.
The Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke has in a statewide broadcast on Monday, demanded the immediate release of over ₦130 billion in statutory allocations allegedly withheld from the state’s local governments.
Governor Adeleke warned that the continued blockade is crippling grassroots governance and inflicting hardship on workers and residents.
Local governments across Osun State have been left without access to statutory funds amid an ongoing dispute over control of council secretariats, prompting calls for urgent federal intervention.
The governor also alleged the former governor and current Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola of allegedly backing the continued occupation of local government secretariats across the state with police support, an action he said undermines democracy and the rule of law.
