The political tension in Osun State deepened on Monday as the Omoluabi Progressives, a faction loyal to former Interior Minister Rauf Aregbesola, accused the Federal Government and the All Progressives Congress (APC) of starving duly elected local government executives of their statutory allocations.
Speaking at a press conference in Osogbo, the Chairman of the group, Azeez Adesiji, alleged that the APC-led Federal Government had been diverting billions of naira meant for local councils into what he described as “illegal accounts” opened in the names of hand-picked officials.
“Instead of upholding the law, the Federal Government has chosen to perpetrate fascism by starving duly elected local government executives of their statutory funds and diverting billions of naira into an illegal account opened in the name of these ‘Yes or No’ illegal chairmen,” Adesiji stated.
“This is not only unconstitutional but a direct theft of the people’s resources and political brigandage,” he added.
Adesiji described the situation as “a declaration of war against the Nigerian Constitution and the people of Osun State,” accusing the federal authorities of “setting a dangerous precedent by disregarding valid court judgments to entrench rejected cronies in power.”
The Omoluabi Progressives, which operates under the African Democratic Congress (ADC), condemned the development as a deliberate attempt by the APC to manipulate democratic institutions and subvert the will of the people.
“We condemn in the strongest terms this overbearing conduct of the federal government, which has shown that it will stop at nothing to manipulate institutions, desecrate the courts, and subvert the will of the people,” the group said.
“This same pattern of lawlessness is already creeping into Osun politics ahead of the forthcoming elections, and Nigerians must take note of what this portends for 2027.”
The group also warned that funds deposited in the accounts of the disputed council officials must not be withdrawn, describing such actions as “criminal and an egregious violation of financial regulations.”
“Local government funds must be released to legitimate and constitutional authorities,” Adesiji stressed.
“By any accounting procedure, government allocation cannot be paid directly or indirectly into any government functionary’s account. Doing so would amount to an egregious violation of financial regulations, which the ICPC should address with urgency.”
The Omoluabi Progressives further called on professional bodies and civil society organisations to resist what it described as “the creeping authoritarianism” allegedly being imposed through local government structures in Osun State.
“The struggle for local government autonomy must not be turned into an APC scheme for political capture and financial looting,” the group declared.
“Those behind the diversion of council funds must be held accountable.”
However, the Osun State chapter of the APC dismissed the allegations as “baseless political propaganda”, accusing the Omoluabi group of seeking public attention.
Reacting through its spokesperson, Chief Kola Olabisi, the party argued that the issue of local government leadership in Osun had already been settled by a court ruling earlier this year.
“There couldn’t have been any need for their tirade beyond mere attention-seeking, as that is the only way they could be heard,” Olabisi said.
“No fabricated or concocted side talks can take the place of the Appeal Court judgment, which was not challenged in the Supreme Court.”
The APC maintained that the Court of Appeal’s judgment of 10 February 2025 had reinstated its local government chairmen and councillors as the constitutionally recognised officials.
“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,” Olabisi stated.
“Who conferred the status of interpreter of court judgments on the busy-body members and leaders of the questionable Omoluabi Progressives?” he queried.
