Osun LG crisis: APC council chairmen assert autonomy, fault Assembly’s stance

Local government council chairmen in Osun State elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have reaffirmed what they described as their constitutional autonomy to administer their councils without interference, urging the Osun State House of Assembly to refrain from involvement in local government affairs.

Speaking at a press conference on Monday at the APC State Secretariat in Osogbo, the Osun State Chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), Hon. Samuel Idowu Abiodun, said the chairmen were acting in line with the Supreme Court judgment granting financial autonomy to local government councils.

Abiodun said the chairmen rejected allegations earlier raised by the Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Hon. Wale Egbedun, concerning the management of local government funds, insisting that their actions were guided by law.

He noted that the chairmen assumed office in February 2025 and maintained that no diversion of funds had occurred at the council level since then.

According to him, the councils faced operational challenges following what he described as prolonged industrial action by local government workers between February 2025 and January 2026, which he alleged affected service delivery at the grassroots.

He stated that, in response to the situation, the councils opened bank accounts to ensure the continued operation of local government administration. Abiodun said the process, carried out in collaboration with a commercial bank, followed due procedure and took several months to complete.

The ALGON chairman also referenced ongoing legal disputes between the state government and the councils over the implementation of local government financial autonomy, stating that several cases had been pursued up to the Supreme Court.

He further alleged that a law enacted by the Osun State House of Assembly in December 2025 was aimed at addressing the implications of recent court decisions relating to local government allocations.

Abiodun maintained that the chairmen were committed to implementing the Supreme Court ruling on local government financial autonomy and called for cooperation among stakeholders to ensure effective governance at the grassroots.

He also responded to comments attributed to the Speaker concerning former Governor Gboyega Oyetola, now Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, saying the allegations against him were unfounded.

The ALGON chairman concluded by reiterating that the council administrations were operating within the bounds of the law and denied any wrongdoing in the management of local government funds.