Eight members of the House of Representatives from Osun State have written an open letter to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, demanding the immediate release of local government allocations withheld from the 30 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in the state for the past four months.
In the strongly worded letter, signed by lawmakers representing eight out of the nine federal constituencies in the state, the legislators described the continued withholding of the funds by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) — reportedly on orders from the Federal Government — as a violation of constitutional provisions and a dangerous affront to the principles of federalism.
Citing Section 162(3) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), the lawmakers reminded President Tinubu that allocations from the Federation Account are to be shared among federal, state, and local governments without discretion or delay.
They called the current situation not only unconstitutional but also politically motivated and detrimental to grassroots governance.
The lawmakers linked the withheld funds to what they described as “mischief” surrounding the nullification of the controversial October 2022 local government elections conducted by the immediate past administration of Governor Gboyega Oyetola.
According to them, two separate judgments by the Federal High Court and one upheld by the Court of Appeal invalidated the polls and removed the officials purportedly elected.
“Your Excellency, there is absolutely no shred of legal or judicial justification for anyone to advise that funds meant for the third tier of government in Osun State be withheld,” the letter stated. “A fresh and valid local government election was successfully conducted on February 22, 2025, and elected chairmen and councillors have since been sworn in.”
The representatives also warned against reports that certain political actors were boasting that the funds would eventually be diverted to loyalists of the ruling party, who currently have no legal standing to manage public resources at the local level.
Drawing parallels with President Tinubu’s experience as Lagos State Governor in the early 2000s, when the federal government withheld allocations to the state’s newly created LGs, the lawmakers urged the President to uphold the Supreme Court’s position that such actions are unconstitutional.
The caucus called on the President to take the following actions, “Direct the Minister of Finance and the Accountant General of the Federation to release all outstanding allocations to Osun LGAs from February 2025 onward.
“Instruct the CBN Governor to facilitate prompt transfers to the state’s Joint Local Government Account in accordance with established procedures.
“Mandate the Attorney General of the Federation to uphold judicial rulings and refrain from partisan interference in the matter.
They concluded by expressing confidence in President Tinubu’s commitment to justice, rule of law, and federalism, assuring him of their continued support in the task of national development.
Signatories to the Letter Include: Rep. Bamidele Salam – Ede North/Ede South/Egbedore/Ejigbo, Rep. Ajilesoro Taofeek Abimbola – Ife Central/Ife North/Ife South/Ife East, Rep. Omirin Emmanuel Olusanya – Atakumosa East/Atakumosa West/Ilesa East/Ilesa West, Rep. Oladebo Lanre Alomoleye – Ayedaade/Irewole/Isokan, Rep. Adewale Morufu Adebayo – Irepodun/Olorunda/Osogbo/Orolu, Rep. Mudashiru Lukman Alani – Iwo/Ayedire/Olaoluwa, Rep. Akanni Clement Ademola – Boluwaduro/Ifedayo/Ila and Rep. Adetunji Abidemi Olusoji – Odo Otin/Ifelodun/Boripe.
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