The Osun State Government has accused the Federal Government of diverting local government allocations to accounts allegedly controlled by council officials loyal to the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of Saturday’s governorship election.
The Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, made the allegation on Thursday during an interview on Frontline, a current affairs programme on Eagle 102.5 FM, Ilese-Ijebu, Ogun State.
Alimi alleged that the arrangement had placed a monthly financial burden of about N6.5 billion on the state government, which he said had been using its resources to meet local government salary obligations.
The commissioner described the situation as an “aberration”, claiming that the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, the Attorney-General of the Federation and the Minister of Finance facilitated the opening of separate accounts for APC-backed council officials.
According to him, the officials, whom he referred to as “yes/no chairmen”, were made signatories to the accounts and had access to local government allocations.
Alimi said the funds were not being paid into the state’s joint account, contrary to what he described as the normal arrangement in other states.
He said the Osun Government had challenged the arrangement in court, explaining that the matter was initially taken to the Supreme Court before the state was directed to commence proceedings at the Federal High Court.
The commissioner alleged that despite the ongoing litigation, the disputed allocations continued to be paid into accounts operated by the APC-aligned council officials.
State Claims N6.5bn Monthly LG Burden
Alimi said the funding dispute had forced the state government to shoulder about N6.5 billion in monthly local government-related obligations.
He explained that local governments in the state are responsible for the payment of primary school teachers, health workers, local government employees, some pensioners and traditional rulers.
According to him, the state had been covering the expenses with its own resources since February 2025, describing the intervention as a financial bailout.
He said Osun receives between N11 billion and N12 billion monthly in allocations, while the state’s own monthly wage bill is about N8 billion.
Alimi argued that, under normal circumstances, funds remaining after salary payments and other recurrent commitments could be channelled into infrastructure and other development projects.
He claimed that the Adeleke administration had so far spent approximately N100 billion of its resources to cushion the effect of the disputed local government funding arrangement.
The commissioner further alleged that the financial exposure from the dispute could eventually reach nearly N300 billion.
Alimi Links Dispute to Political Pressure
The commissioner also accused the APC-backed council officials of mismanaging the allocations, alleging that part of the funds had been used to procure vehicles for the police under the guise of supporting efforts to combat insecurity.
He linked the local government funding controversy to what he described as a wider political strategy aimed at weakening the Adeleke administration before the election.
According to Alimi, the alleged objective was to put the state under sufficient financial pressure to make it difficult for the government to pay workers, potentially triggering industrial action and creating public dissatisfaction.
He also cited disputes over billboards, incidents of sporadic shootings and tensions around motor parks as part of what he described as attempts to destabilise the state.
Adeleke Govt Urges Voters to Resist Intimidation
With the election less than 48 hours away, Alimi alleged that the developments were partly designed to discourage voters from participating in the poll.
He urged residents to remain calm, reject intimidation and exercise their constitutional right to vote.
The commissioner expressed confidence that Osun voters would turn out in large numbers and defend their choice at the ballot box.
Alimi also revisited the controversy over the tenure of the APC-aligned council officials, claiming that their tenure, which he said began in October 2022, should have ended in October 2025.
He said although a court had ordered the officials to vacate their positions, they appealed the judgment, prolonging the legal dispute.
The allegations come against the backdrop of a prolonged political and legal disagreement over the control, administration and funding of local governments in Osun, with the Adeleke administration and APC-aligned council officials maintaining sharply contrasting positions on the matter.
