THE OSUN LOCAL GOVERNMENT CRISIS

The crisis should be resolved in the interest of the people

The lingering crisis over leadership and governance at the local government level in Osun state is taking its toll on workers and pensioners. Many of the communities are also sinking deeper into poverty and neglect. Since March 2025, more than N130 billion statutory allocations due to the 30 local government areas in the state have been held back, trapped in bank vaults, due to political power play. Even worse, the crisis is increasingly deepening political tension, and degenerating into violence and loss of lives.

The leadership crisis stemmed from the dissolution of the local government structures which Governor Ademola Adeleke inherited in 2022 from the administration of his predecessor, Adegboyega Oyetola, who is currently the Minster for Blue Economy. Oyetola had conducted a controversial local council election shortly after losing his re-election bid, in an act of political brinksmanship. And all the elected officials were of the All Progressives Congress (APC). A few days after Adeleke was sworn in as governor on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), a Federal High Court sitting in Osogbo nullified the local government election.

While Adeleke immediately appointed caretaker committees to run the councils, the ruling was challenged by the sacked chairmen and councillors. The Court of Appeal in Akure, Ondo State heeded their prayers by declaring their removal illegal. But in total disregard for the judgment, Adeleke conducted a fresh local government election in February 2025. With the election declared illegal by the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Justice Minister, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, the APC boycotted the exercise.

Expectedly, the PDP won all the seats in the councils and were promptly sworn in by the governor. But these officials were directed to stay away from council secretariats to avoid further clashes. The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) had earlier directed local government workers to withdraw their services for safety reasons. While the 30 local government secretariats are lying idle, locked away and unoccupied, many ordinary citizens of the state are denied services often rendered by the councils – services ranging from education, healthcare, issuance of marriage certificates, and others.

With the federal government insisting that the local government allocations would only be released to APC officials elected under the Oyetola administration in its last days, the Adeleke-led government went to the Supreme Court to challenge the “unconstitutional and arbitrary seizure” of local government revenues. Adeleke won and lost. The Supreme Court struck out the Osun State government’s suit. But it also held that the federal government was wrong to seize the funds belonging to the local government areas of the state. “Refusal to release the funds is a clear misuse of power by the defendant,” declared Justice Mohammed Baba-Idris, “and it is a clear disobedience to the court’s order that funds should be paid only to a democratically elected government.” He counseled that the funds be released to the local governments’ accounts.

Indeed, the apex court had ruled in the past to affirm the financial autonomy of the 774 local government areas of the country. But the 30 local government areas in Osun State are caught in the crossfire of partisan politics. For a rural state where internally generated revenue is a little more than a handful, the impact of the seizure on the people is palpable. Many small businesses are reportedly gasping for breath. Reports indicate that residents in towns like Ede, Ilobu, Ejigbo, Osogbo, Ife and Ilesa are being adversely affected by the prevailing condition while markets are shrinking because of low purchasing power. Farmers are ill-motivated. In addition, basic services are collapsing.

Tragically, the prolonged crisis has not only created a climate of fear and confusion; it has also claimed innocent lives. It has led to the gruesome murder of the Chairman of Irewole Local Government, Remi Abass, and five others.

It is unfortunate that the rule of law does not seem to matter, and court rulings are being interpreted to suit partisan interests. While we do not condone lawlessness in any form, we urge the federal government to release the withheld funds to the local government areas in Osun State and work for an amicable resolution of the crisis.