Now that Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State has decisively defeated the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Munirudeen Oyebamiji, it is hoped that the federal government would release the withheld statutory allocations of the 30 local governments in the state.
According to recent data from the Federal Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC), the allocations have grown to the tune of over N250billion.
Following the February 2025 local government elections in the state, which were challenged by the ruling APC, the federal government withheld the statutory allocations meant for the 30 councils.
But the state government went to court to challenge the decision.
In the lead judgment delivered by Justice Mohammed Idris, the Supreme Court declared that the seizure of the allocations amounted to “grave breach of the 1999 Constitution.”
Justice Idris further held that “the hand of the federal government was soiled” by its decision to withhold the allocations and directed that the funds be “directly channelled to local government accounts.”
Though the court faulted the state government for initiating the suit on behalf of the affected local governments and consequently dismissed the suit, it also held that the federal government was wrong to have withheld the local government funds, adding that the action was in breach of the 1999 Constitution.
Despite this, the APC-led federal government and the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), have ignored the court’s directive, and still holding on to the dismissal of the case.
Many thought that the action was taken in order to ground local government administration in the state and invariably weaken the government of Governor Adeleke.
Since the governor has again triumphed in the jrecently-concluded election, there is no point trying to frustrate the people of the state any longer.
The funds are essential to pay the salaries of primary school teachers, nurses and other health workers across the state’s 332 primary healthcare centres, local government employees, members of traditional councils, retirees, and also improve infrastructure in the state.