A fresh political controversy has erupted in Osun State over the reported release of the withheld local government allocations to All Progressives Congress, APC, council chairmen and councillors elected in the October 15, 2022 council election.
The Omoluabi Progressives, a group within the African Democratic Congress, ADC, on Monday, condemned the move by the Federal Government, describing it as an act of impunity and abuse of power.
Addressing journalists at the Oranmiyan House, Osogbo, the Chairman of the group, Alhaji Azeez Adesiji, said the release of the seven-month allocations to the APC chairmen was illegal and unconstitutional.
Adesiji stated, “Those parading themselves as council chairmen and councillors are Yes or No illegal chairmen with no lawful mandate, no constitutional backing, and no electoral legitimacy.”
He maintained that the Federal High Court judgment in Osogbo, which sacked the APC council officials, remained valid, binding, and unchallenged, and noted that their appeal was struck out for want of diligent prosecution.
The Omoluabi Progressives also accused the APC-led Federal Government of attempting to manipulate the forthcoming August 8, 2026 governorship election in the state through the control of local government funds.
“This is not only unconstitutional but a direct theft of the people’s resources and an act of political brigandage,” Adesiji said.
He called on civil society groups, labour unions, and opposition parties to resist creeping authoritarianism.
The group warned those it called illegal chairmen not to tamper with the released funds, urging anti-corruption agencies, including the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, to intervene immediately.
However, reacting to the statement, the Osun State chapter of the APC described the Omoluabi Progressives’ criticism as belated and unnecessary, accusing the group of acting behind time.
In a counter statement signed by the APC Director of Media and Information, Kola Olabisi, the party said the matter of the delayed federal allocations to the local governments had long been settled by the Court of Appeal judgment of February 10, 2025.
He questioned the authority of the Omoluabi Progressives to interpret court judgments.
Olabisi noted, “The Appeal Court judgment expressly reinstated the APC local government chairmen and councillors, making them the constitutionally elected council officers in the face of the law.
“Who conferred the status of interpreter of the law or court judgment on the busy-body members and leaders of the questionable Omoluabi Progressives?”
The APC spokesperson accused the Omoluabi group of seeking attention through political propaganda and suggested that the group should preoccupy itself with resolving its internal crisis within the ADC rather than meddling in Osun’s local government affairs.
According to Olabisi, “There couldn’t have been any need for their tirade beyond mere attention-seeking as that is the only way they could be heard.
“No fabricated or concocted side talks can take the place of the Appeal Court judgment which was not challenged in the Supreme Court.”
Osun APC, Omoluabi Progressives trade words over release of LG funds