Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has raised concern over the alleged withholding of about ₦130 billion in statutory allocations meant for the state’s local governments, warning that the situation is crippling grassroots administration and placing heavy strain on workers and essential services.
In a statewide broadcast on Monday, Adeleke said the funds, due to the councils since February 2025, had not been released into the legitimate local government accounts, creating what he described as a severe governance and humanitarian challenge.
According to the governor, the withheld allocations are required for the payment of salaries and running of critical services, including primary school teachers, health workers in 332 primary healthcare centres, council staff, traditional councils and retirees.
“These funds are meant to keep the system running, but for almost 12 months, the state has had to make painful sacrifices to keep salaries paid, adding that the arrangement was no longer sustainable,” he said,
Adeleke linked the financial crisis to the prolonged dispute over local government leadership in the state. He recalled that chairmen and councillors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) were removed by court judgments in November 2022, a decision affirmed by the Court of Appeal in February and June 2025.
He said fresh elections were conducted in line with court orders and new officials were sworn in on February 23, 2025, but alleged that the sacked officials had continued to occupy council secretariats illegally.
“The court removed them, not my administration,describing the occupants as impostors without lawful mandate,”Adeleke said ,
The governor accused former governor Gboyega Oyetola of allegedly supporting the continued occupation with the backing of security agencies, a development he said undermines democracy and the rule of law. He also claimed that council workers attempting to resume duty were harassed and intimidated.
Adeleke further accused United Bank for Africa (UBA) of allegedly allowing unauthorised persons to operate council accounts, noting that senior officials of the bank involved in the matter were already facing criminal prosecution.
Calling for urgent federal intervention, the governor appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to ensure the immediate release of the withheld allocations and to protect democratic institutions in the state.
“There is no provision in our Constitution for tenure elongation,” he said.
urging Nigerians and democracy advocates to demand an end to what he termed an unlawful siege on Osun local governments.
He called on residents to remain calm and law abiding, assuring them that his administration would continue to uphold constitutional order and protect their welfare