₦130bn Showdown: Adeleke Heads To Meet Tinubu Over Explosive Osun LG Funds Dispute

Sources who spoke with Sahara Reporters described the proposed meeting as an attempt to reach a political settlement to the ongoing standoff.

According to insiders familiar with the situation, focus has now shifted to the anticipated talks between Adeleke and Tinubu.

One source disclosed that although the meeting is being arranged, certain individuals within the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun are allegedly working to prevent it from taking place.

“Plans for the meeting are underway, despite attempts by some APC members in Osun to stop it. The President has approved the engagement. The aim is to resolve the local government funding crisis through political dialogue. The meeting could happen at any time,” the source said.

The dispute revolves around the control and release of local government allocations, which have triggered legal battles and heightened political tension in the state.

The development follows reports that the Chairman of United Bank for Africa (UBA), Tony Elumelu, recently held discussions with President Tinubu at the Presidential Villa concerning Osun’s local government funds held by the bank.

Although official details of that meeting were not made public, sources indicated that deliberations centred on the status and administration of the funds.

One insider claimed the meeting was prompted by “allegations of mismanagement and court orders restraining the bank from accessing or disbursing the funds pending the outcome of legal proceedings.”

Another source close to the Presidency stated that Elumelu was invited to respond to accusations of unauthorized disbursement.

Concerns reportedly raised included claims that UBA may have violated local government financial guidelines, a development said to have resulted in the criminal prosecution of some bank officials.

Sources further indicated that the Presidency expressed reservations about any movement of the funds while court cases remain unresolved.

President Tinubu was said to have reiterated that there is an existing directive barring both rival factions in Osun from accessing the funds until the legal disputes are settled.

The discussions also reportedly examined the role of former Osun State governor, Gboyega Oyetola, in the management of the allocations, after Elumelu allegedly referenced external pressure as a factor behind partial disbursement.