Elected local government officials of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Osun State, under the banner of the Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON), have appealed to President Bola Tinubu to instruct the Accountant General of the Federation to caution the Controller of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in the state against actions that could incite anarchy.
The Chairman of ALGON in Osun State, Sharafadeen Awotunde, made the appeal on Tuesday during a press briefing held at the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs in Abere.
Awotunde emphasized that funds allocated to local governments must not be paid into private accounts under any circumstances.
Speaking on behalf of all local government chairmen elected in the February 22, 2025, local government polls in Osun State, the ALGON chairman stated that the elected officials are not signatories to the local government accounts. Instead, he explained, the signatories are the Directors of Finance and the Heads of Local Government Administration.
He added, “We recognize President Bola Tinubu as the father of the nation. What we are simply asking is for him to intervene by instructing the Accountant General to act appropriately.”
“We want the Accountant General to direct the CBN controller in Osogbo not to cause anarchy. He should only deal with the local government officials who were duly elected into office and that is us.
“Any action contrary to they will lead to anarchy,” he said.
The press conference is coming on the heels of the disagreement between the Osun chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, and the state government over control of local government administration in the state.
Both the Osun State Government and the All Progressives Congress (APC) have interpreted the Appeal Court rulings of February 10 and June 13, 2025, as victories in their respective favour.
The Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSSIEC) had relied on the February 10 judgment to conduct the local government elections on Saturday, February 22, in which the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) secured all available positions.
However, after swearing in the elected PDP local government officials, Governor Ademola Adeleke instructed them to refrain from resuming office, citing concerns over potential violence and the need to maintain peace.
