Civil society organisations, labour unions and youth leaders have announced plans to mobilise to Osun State over what they describe as the unlawful occupation of local government councils and the growing hardship faced by residents as a result of withheld statutory allocations.
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The planned action was disclosed by the Movement for Credible Elections (MCE), which accused the Federal Government and the Nigeria Police of enabling the continued takeover of Osun local government councils by individuals it described as “impostors,” despite multiple court rulings declaring their tenure invalid.
Speaking after an emergency meeting at its National Secretariat, the Movement recalled that a Federal High Court in Osogbo nullified the tenure of the former APC-sponsored local government chairmen and councillors in November 2022. MCE said the ruling was upheld by the Court of Appeal on February 10, 2025, and reaffirmed again on June 13, 2025, on the grounds that the elections that brought them to office violated existing laws.
The Movement condemned the continued diversion and non-release of local government funds meant for Osun councils, describing the situation as illegal, morally wrong and a clear abuse of the Constitution. It argued that the withholding of funds was aimed at pressuring the Osun State Government, which is controlled by a political party different from the one in power at the federal level.
MCE questioned the legal basis on which APC chairmen and councillors continue to operate in Osun local governments, noting that the officials have publicly admitted that their tenure has expired and that they have approached the courts for tenure extension — a case that is yet to be determined.
“So under what authority are they occupying council offices and managing public funds?” the Movement asked in a statement signed by its Media Coordinator, Comrade James Ezema. “Osun State law clearly states that only career civil servants can be signatories to local government accounts in such circumstances.”
The Movement also raised concerns about the role of United Bank for Africa (UBA), questioning why the bank is allegedly acting on directives from outside the state by releasing local government funds to individuals without lawful mandates. It described such actions as a violation of Osun State’s local government laws.
MCE’s Head of Secretariat, Che Olawale Okunniyi, described the continued occupation of council secretariats by the APC officials as a blatant assault on the rule of law and democratic governance. He accused the Federal Government and security agencies of emboldening the occupants, who, he said, have openly defied court rulings and vowed not to vacate the council offices.
According to the Movement, the consequences of the crisis are being felt most by retirees, healthcare workers and ordinary residents. It questioned why federal authorities would appear indifferent to the suffering caused by unpaid salaries, weakened healthcare delivery and the breakdown of basic local services.
MCE stressed that local governments are a constitutionally recognised and autonomous tier of government, and that statutory allocations belong to communities at the grassroots, not to the Federal Government or any political party. It said the continued withholding of funds has led to salary arrears, stalled primary healthcare services, neglected basic education and deepening hardship across Osun State.
The Movement warned that the politicisation of local government funding is not new, recalling that the practice has long been criticised by civil society, the courts and even President Bola Tinubu during his time as governor, as being inconsistent with the principles of democratic federalism.
MCE cautioned that allowing the financial strangulation of states and local governments on partisan grounds poses serious risks to Nigeria’s democracy, the rule of law and national unity.
Reaffirming its commitment to democratic governance and constitutional order, the Movement called on civil society groups, labour unions, youths, professional bodies and pro-democracy advocates to remain on alert and prepare for a planned intervention in Osun State in February, describing the situation as a grave injustice against the people of the state.
