– By Fresh Facts Magazine Reportage Team
The Osun State House of Assembly has declared its readiness to resist any attempt to unlawfully substitute authorised signatories to local government accounts across the state. This strong stance emerged during its plenary session on Thursday, amid mounting political and legal controversy surrounding the control and legitimacy of local councils in the state.
At the heart of the lawmakers’ concern is an alleged move by certain individuals claiming to be council chairmen and councillors to gain access to local government accounts through the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). The Assembly, presided over by Speaker Adewale Egbedun, issued a firm resolution condemning the development, warning that any such transaction constitutes an illegal diversion of public funds.
According to the resolution, only two career officers—the Director of Finance and the Director of Administration and General Services—are legally recognised signatories to local government accounts, as established in Section 14.0 of the 2025 Osun State Guidelines for Local Government Administration. Additionally, all bank confirmations must be endorsed by the Head of Local Government Administration and the council chairman, in accordance with the law.
“Any attempt to substitute these officers with unauthorised persons is not only unlawful but an attempt to divert public funds,” the lawmakers warned. “This House shall take all lawful measures to resist, report, and reverse such infractions.”
The Assembly also reaffirmed its recognition of the democratically elected local government officials installed on February 22, 2025, insisting that they are the only constitutionally legitimate custodians of grassroots governance in the state. It warned that any recognition or reinstatement of officials from the controversial October 15, 2022, council elections—conducted during the twilight of former Governor Gboyega Oyetola’s administration—was unconstitutional, null and void.
This stance directly counters recent comments by Hon. Oluwole Oke, the federal lawmaker representing Obokun/Oriade Federal Constituency, who publicly urged Governor Ademola Adeleke to honour a recent Court of Appeal judgment allegedly reinstating the APC-elected council officials.
In a statement issued from Abuja, Oke criticised Governor Adeleke for allegedly flouting court orders and politicising the local government dispute. He accused the governor of scapegoating top national figures, including President Bola Tinubu, Attorney-General Lateef Fagbemi, CBN Governor Yemi Cardoso, and APC chieftain Oyetola.
“Stop dragging the names of President Tinubu and others into this issue,” Oke said. “This is not about political scapegoating; it is about upholding the law.”
Oke blamed Adeleke’s administration for the operational paralysis currently affecting local government workers and service delivery in Osun State. He claimed that the governor’s refusal to honour the mandate of the APC council officials was fueling hardship at the grassroots.
“I personally advised you to respect the court’s ruling,” Oke added. “That’s part of why I left the PDP under your leadership.”
He called on Adeleke to instruct members of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) to resume duties under the guidance of the reinstated APC council officials until the expiration of their tenure.
Despite the appeal from the federal lawmaker, the Osun Assembly maintains that the October 2022 elections, boycotted by the Peoples Democratic Party and conducted under a cloud of controversy, remain invalid. This position aligns with a May 2023 ruling by the Federal High Court in Osogbo, which declared the elections illegal for violating the Electoral Act’s provisions, especially concerning multi-party participation.
Following that judgment, Governor Adeleke dissolved the APC-dominated councils and appointed caretaker committees, a decision that has since intensified political friction across the state.
The Assembly further expressed deep concern over the delay in releasing statutory allocations meant for the local governments. It called on the Accountant-General of the Federation and the Minister of Finance to immediately disburse all outstanding funds directly into the legally recognised local government accounts.
“This Honourable House strongly condemns any attempt by unauthorised persons to engage the CBN for transactions involving local government funds. Such actions breach constitutional and statutory financial architecture,” the lawmakers declared.
They pledged to use all legal, legislative, and constitutional mechanisms—including litigation—to protect local government finances and ensure proper implementation of financial autonomy at the grassroots.
The unfolding crisis continues to reveal the deep political divisions between the ruling PDP in Osun and the opposition APC, whose struggle over local government control has shifted from political arenas to courtrooms and now to the legislature.
As Osun State remains caught in this tug of war, the fate of grassroots governance, service delivery, and financial integrity hangs in the balance—leaving citizens and civil servants in a prolonged state of uncertainty.
