The Osun State Government has faulted an alleged move by the Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, to channel the state’s withheld local government funds into the accounts of sacked council chairmen and councillors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
In a letter addressed to the minister, counsel to the state government, Musibau Adetunbi (SAN), described the plan as “a mockery of the administration of justice and a ridicule of the nation’s institutions.” He maintained that the affected council officials had been removed from office through valid court judgments.
The letter, titled “Again: Notification of the Pendency of Suit No: SC/CV/773/2025: Between Attorney General of Osun State v. Attorney General of the Federation in Respect of the Withheld Osun State Local Government Fund”, warned against releasing the funds into what it termed “illegal accounts.”
According to Adetunbi, the state’s Attorney General has already approached the Supreme Court to challenge both the seizure and proposed disbursement of the funds. He argued that any payment at this stage would amount to “a grievous assault on the rule of law.”
Citing previous judgments of the Federal High Court and Court of Appeal that sacked the APC council officials, the letter read in part:
“If it is true that you have indeed written to Mr President to approve payment of the Local Government funds to these court-sacked APC chairmen and councillors before the determination of the dispute by the Apex Court, then such an action is not only a mockery of the administration of justice but also a mockery of all the authorities of the nation, including that of Mr President himself.”
The letter further stressed: “It will be a grievous assault on the rule of law. In the absence of the rule of law, sir, what takes over is what no one desires. This is why, in saner climes, the rule of law is jealously protected.”
The Osun government insisted that the minister should refrain from taking further steps until the Supreme Court decides on the matter, emphasizing that the funds belong to the people across the 30 local government councils of the state and not to “politicians who have been lawfully removed from office.”
“It is on record that, as of today, the Federation has tens of billions of naira belonging to the 30 Local Government Councils of Osun State. These billions, we repeat, are for the well-being of the people, not money that politicians can whimsically appropriate to settle political associates and followers,” the letter added.
