Adeleke Demands Action: Tells FG To Release Withheld Osun LG Funds After Obas, NBA Wades In

Governor Ademola Adeleke, in a statement, commended the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), traditional rulers, and legal experts for standing in defense of the rule of law, stressing that his administration has consistently acted within legal limits in the lingering local government dispute.

The NBA, after setting up a committee to review the Osun LG crisis, concluded that there was no legal basis for the continued withholding of council allocations. The report also clarified that the removal of APC local government chairmen in 2022 was a court-ordered decision, not an action taken by the state government.

It further noted that fresh elections held on February 22, 2025, to fill the vacant seats were conducted under court supervision, with the PDP candidates emerging victorious and later affirmed as legitimate officeholders by the Court of Appeal on June 13, 2025.

Adeleke expressed gratitude to the NBA, monarchs, and other stakeholders who backed the state’s position, while renewing his call on the Federal Government to immediately release all funds due to Osun local governments. He emphasized that the withholding of allocations had no legal or constitutional justification and vowed that his administration would continue to pursue justice through due process.

The Osun local government tussle traces back to the 2022 elections under former Governor Adegboyega Oyetola, which were nullified by the Federal High Court. The fallout, including caretaker appointments and a string of legal appeals, deepened uncertainty over council leadership.

Despite multiple court rulings upholding the February 2025 elections, reports indicate that the Federal Government continued to recognize the sacked APC officials and withhold local government funds—a move the NBA has described as unconstitutional and damaging to public confidence in democratic institutions.

The association has now directed its National Litigation Committee to engage both federal and state authorities to ensure that duly elected PDP officials receive their allocations. Should dialogue fail, the NBA has vowed to seek legal redress to enforce compliance with the law.