By Abdulahmeed Abdulrozaq Bilal | Fact Frontier.
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In a dramatic televised broadcast, Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke issued a forceful demand for the release of over ₦130 billion in local government allocations he alleges are being illegally withheld from the state, while launching serious accusations against former Governor Gboyega Oyetola and the Nigerian Police for fueling a prolonged council crisis.
Governor Adeleke declared a state of financial emergency for local governance, stating that the withheld funds—accumulated since February 2025—are crippling essential services and forcing the state to divert its own resources to cover salaries.
As I speak, the state government is funding the payment of salaries of primary school teachers, health workers in our 332 primary health centres, council staff, and our pensioners from state funds,Adeleke stated. He warned this situation is unsustainable and directly impacts service delivery for millions of citizens.
A Crisis of Governance and Occupation
The heart of the dispute is a bitter struggle for physical and legal control of Osun's local government secretariats. The governor outlined a sequence of court rulings that nullified the tenure of local council officials elected under the previous administration of Gboyega Oyetola.
Their tenure was nullified by a Federal High Court in November 2022, and the judgment was affirmed by the Court of Appeal in 2025,Adeleke explained. Following fresh elections in February 2025, new officials were sworn in.
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However, a standoff persists. Adeleke alleges that the sacked officials from the All Progressives Congress (APC), backed by political forces, have refused to vacate the council premises. He claims this illegal occupation is being actively protected by state security forces.
The Nigeria Police are still providing cover for these illegal occupants,Adeleke asserted.
Armed policemen are still manning the gates, preventing the duly elected chairmen, their officials, and workers from accessing the secretariats.
Direct Allegations Against Oyetola and the Police
The governor's address took a sharply political turn with direct accusations against his predecessor, Gboyega Oyetola, who now serves as a federal minister. Adeleke claimed Oyetola is the chief architect of the impasse.
It is public knowledge that the former Governor, Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola, is the one behind the illegal occupation of the local government secretariats... He is also the one who engineered the stoppage of the statutory allocations to the local governments,Adeleke stated in his broadcast.
Furthermore, Adeleke leveled accusations against the United Bank for Africa (UBA), claiming the bank allowed unauthorized access to the frozen local government accounts.
We have already initiated criminal prosecution of the management of UBA in Osun State for this illegal act,he announced, signaling an escalation of the conflict into the financial sector.
Broader Context and Political Repercussions
This crisis does not exist in a vacuum. It follows a December 2025 ruling by the Supreme Court, which, while condemning the seizure of local government funds by state governments in a related case, did not directly order the release of Osun's ₦130 billion due to technical jurisdictional grounds. This left the legal door open for the current financial blockade.
The Osun State chapter of the APC has previously framed the issue differently. In earlier statements, they have defended the withholding of funds, accusing Governor Adeleke of attempting to bypass due process and create illegal caretaker committees. They argue that the financial impasse is a consequence of the governor's own unconstitutional actions.
As of now, there has been no immediate public response from former Governor Oyetola or the Nigeria Police Force to the specific allegations made in the January 26th broadcast. The federal government has also not commented on the governor's direct appeal to President Bola Tinubu for intervention.
An Appeal to the President and a Warning
Concluding his address, Governor Adeleke framed the situation as a critical test for Nigerian democracy and the rule of law. He appealed to President Tinubu to wield his executive authority.
I call on Mr. President to direct the release of our local government funds... I believe strongly that Mr. President is not aware of this illegality,Adeleke said, carefully distinguishing between the president and his political opponents.
The governor warned that the continued siege on democracy at the grassroots threatens national stability. With ₦130 billion in limbo, thousands of workers in precarious financial positions, and two sets of officials claiming legitimacy, the Osun local government crisis has escalated into a high-stakes political confrontation with no clear resolution in sight. The nation now watches to see whether this appeal will trigger federal intervention or deepen the political stalemate.
