Osun LGAs in complete shutdown 8 months on as council employees inherit APC, PDP management disaster
For eight months now, actions on the 30 native authorities areas and the Modakeke Space Workplace in Osun State have remained in complete paralysis following raging management battle between chairmen of the ruling Peoples Democratic Social gathering and the main opposition All Progressives Congress within the state.
Other than the truth that the council secretariats have been underneath lock and key, crippled by a fierce battle for administration, the providers anticipated from the third tier of presidency to the populace, particularly the folks in grassroots, have been paused.
What started as a political tussle has snowballed right into a constitutional impasse, fueled by conflicting courtroom judgments, disputed elections, and withheld federal allocations.
On October 16, 2022, the Osun State Impartial Electoral Fee performed native authorities elections through which solely the APC participated. Different political events boycotted the polls, citing irregularities. Predictably, APC candidates gained all chairmanship and councillorship seats, and OSIEC declared them winners.
Nevertheless, the PDP rapidly challenged the election, by an originating summons (swimsuit no. FHC/OS/CS/94/2022), the social gathering dragged then-Governor Adegboyega Oyetola, OSIEC, APC, and others to the Federal Excessive Courtroom in Osogbo.
The PDP argued that the election discover issued by OSIEC was 150 days as an alternative of the twelve months required by the 2022 Electoral Act.
In November 2022, Justice Emmanuel Ayoola nullified the elections and sacked the APC executives, declaring the seats vacant. Across the similar interval, the Motion Individuals’s Social gathering (APP) filed a separate swimsuit on the similar courtroom in opposition to INEC and OSIEC.
The APC and another events joined as defendants, however the courtroom once more dominated in opposition to them on November 30, 2022, sacking the APC officers.
The APC and its allies filed appeals, however OSIEC didn’t. One of many appeals lingered till January 13, 2025, when the Courtroom of Attraction dismissed it for lack of prosecution. An try to relist the case was additionally struck out on June 13, 2025.
In the meantime, Governor Ademola Adeleke, who succeeded Oyetola in November 2022, dissolved all APC-led councils and changed them with caretaker committees loyal to the PDP.
This transfer deepened the controversy and set the stage for years of authorized and political battles.
On February 19, 2024, OSIEC issued a recent discover for native authorities elections to be held on February 22, 2025—greater than 360 days’ discover, according to the regulation. The APC initially submitted candidates however later boycotted the method, insisting that its sacked executives nonetheless held legitimate mandates.
The battle reached a boiling level on February 10, 2025, when the Courtroom of Attraction sitting in Akure reinstated the sacked APC executives.
The ruling emboldened APC chairmen to declare plans to renew at council workplaces on February 17, 2025. However the Osun State Authorities and OSIEC chair, Barrister Hashim Abioye, rejected the decision.
The strain quickly turned lethal after APC chairmen tried to take management of councils, ensuing into violent clashes with PDP loyalists. In Isokan Native Authorities, Remi Abass, one of many reinstated APC chairmen, was killed by political thugs. A number of members of each events sustained accidents within the fracas.
The Nigeria Labour Congress and NULGE directed LG workers to withdraw providers from February 16, 2025, citing security considerations.
NULGE chairman Nathaniel Ogungbangbe, in an announcement, mentioned, “The Osun State NULGE has observed the political uproar bringing agitations and concern amongst our members working inside the Native Authorities Areas throughout the state.
The Osun State NULGE is apolitical, however we gained’t permit our members to work in an environment of insecurity.”
Because the February 22, 2025 elections approached, the Legal professional-Normal of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, and the Inspector Normal of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, warned Adeleke in opposition to going forward, stressing that the councils weren’t vacant and such motion can be unlawful.
Police sealed off the OSIEC headquarters, however the fee nonetheless introduced that elections had been held. Reviews, nevertheless, indicated that no OSIEC workers or supplies have been seen at most polling models.
Nevertheless, it was noticed that among the polling models the place the election skilled main turnout embrace the Governor’s polling unit, Sagba/Abogunde Ward 2, Unit 9, Ede, a member Home of Representatives Bamidele Salam 1 unit 1, Awo, Egbedore LG, Osun, Deputy Governor solid his vote at Ilode ward 1 unit 001, The Secretary to the State Authorities, Teslim Igbalaye Osogbo native authorities.
The chairman of the Allied Individuals’s Motion dismissed the train as “mere lockdown,” saying, “There was no signal of any OSIEC electoral workers throughout polling models within the state.”
Regardless of the controversies that surrounded the election, OSIEC declared PDP candidates winners of all council seats. Governor Adeleke swore them in however instructed them to avoid council secretariats till authorized points have been resolved.
The disaster coincided with the July 11, 2024, Supreme Courtroom judgment granting {financial} autonomy to Nigeria’s 774 native governments. Following this, the Federal Authorities directed LGs to open accounts with the Central {Bank} of Nigeria to obtain allocations straight.
However in Osun, the lingering dispute led to the withholding of allocations. There have been studies that the Federal Authorities deliberate to channel funds into accounts opened by the APC chairmen, who had been granted a waiver to make use of treasurers as co-signatories.
The NULGE underneath the management of Nathaniel Ogungbangbe, rejected the association, saying, “Solely Administrators of Finance, Heads of Native Authorities Administration, and civil servants with over 15 years in service can counter-sign with council chairmen for affirmation of any transaction, as stipulated by regulation,”
PDP-aligned ALGON chairman, Sarafadeen Awotunde, additionally warned the CBN in opposition to recognising the APC executives, describing them as “unlawful occupants of Osun Councils.”
However APC’s ALGON chairman, Abiodun Idowu, countered, “We urge the Accountant Normal of the Federation to pay the allocation to accounts which will probably be accessed solely by the reinstated government. We admonish NULGE management and its members to renew obligation in order that they’ll work for the development of growth on the grassroots.”
Amidst the stalemate, the Osun State Authorities, by its Legal professional-Normal, Oluwole Jimi-Baba, SAN, dragged the Accountant Normal of the Federation and the AGF to courtroom, warning in opposition to releasing allocations to the APC chairmen.
The swimsuit was later withdrawn, however in September 2025, the state filed a recent case (SC/CU/773/2025) on the Supreme Courtroom.
The state sought to restrain the federal authorities from paying allocations to APC-controlled councils, insisting they have to go to PDP-elected officers.
APC, nevertheless, blasted the transfer. Its Director of Media and Data, Kola Olabisi, mentioned, “The newest strategy of the apparently confused Governor Adeleke’s administration is a sign that it has reached a useless finish on the futile efforts to seize the folks’s allocations on the grassroots, that are meant for supply of fine governance… in spite of everything efforts to get ill-conceived propaganda from the backdoor proved abortive.”
Whereas the political and authorized wrangling continues, atypical residents bear the brunt.
Native governments, the closest tier of presidency to the folks, present essential providers akin to marriage certificates, certificates of origin, sanitation, healthcare centres, and street upkeep. However with council workplaces locked, these providers have stalled.
Amidst the conflicting calls for by political events and stakeholders, the Conventional Rulers Council of Osun State led by Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi known as on President Bola Tinubu to intervene within the lingering disaster over management of native authorities councils and the withholding of their allocations.
He lamented that the state of affairs has crippled actions throughout the 30 native authorities areas and the Space Workplace within the state, including that “the normal establishments and communities throughout Osun have been negatively impacted by the nonpayment of funds as and when due,” he mentioned.
A CSO in Osun state, The Osun Masterminds, said that folks on the grassroots are struggling the neglect of labor on the native council, interesting to the workers within the 30 native governments to renew their duties within the curiosity of the plenty.
The group mentioned, “The Osun State Authorities continues to behave with the intention of political correctness, not minding the truth that the continued deadlock impacts the funds of the state. Whereas we recognise that the state authorities is paying salaries of LG employees, it turns into completely irresponsible of the employees to proceed to cover underneath insecurity whereas incomes salaries for work not performed. We condemn the continued inactivity within the native governments and we name on all stakeholders to behave responsibly.”
The PDP accused the APC of intentionally irritating governance on the grassroots. Osun PDP chairman, Sunday Bisi, mentioned, “The withholding of the fund is politically motivated and lacks logic. The folks will punish APC within the 2026 governorship election.”
However APC fired again, accusing Adeleke of intentionally seizing LG funds and utilizing NULGE to cripple councils.
Residents have, nevertheless, known as on stakeholders within the state to proffer options that can see to the resumption of native authorities actions throughout the state.
Presently, council employees underneath the Nationwide Union of Native Authorities Workers who’ve been staying house with out work and receiving salaries, have been divided following studies that the Federal Authorities paid the withheld allocations to the APC chairmen.
Some employees, mentioned to be loyal to the APC, broke out of NULGE, recognized themselves as Affiliation of Involved Native Authorities Staff of Osun State and declared readiness to renew work at present (Monday). Additionally they known as on different employees to comply with swimsuit, saying it was an act of wickedness accumulating salaries for over 7 months with out working.
However, Ogungbangbe, who seems to be empathetic with the ruling authorities, kicked in opposition to the decision for resumption of duties, saying the secretariats usually are not but protected.
Observers have warned that the division of among the many employees could re-ignite violent confrontation within the state if care isn’t taken.