The Concerned Muslim Stakeholders and the League of Alfas in Osun State have expressed displeasure over the involvement of traditional rulers, pressure groups, and religious leaders in the ongoing controversy surrounding local government allocations in the state.
Addressing journalists at the NUJ Press Centre in Osogbo on Tuesday, the group faulted a recent statement by the League of Imams and Alfas, Osun State chapter, which urged President Bola Tinubu to order the release of allocations to the state government.
In a statement signed by Sheikh Khozeem AbdulRaham (President) and Mallam AbdulGaniyy Sahid Esra (Secretary General), the group described the League’s intervention as “false, misleading, unfair, unlawful and a product of poor investigation.”
They also questioned the June 13, 2025 Court of Appeal ruling, which they said created confusion by simultaneously recognising and dismissing the same local government elections. According to them, such contradictions risk plunging the state into chaos.
The group further cautioned traditional rulers to conduct proper fact-finding before making public pronouncements, warning that unbalanced statements could lead to embarrassment.
It accused the League of Imams and Alfas of abandoning neutrality by acting as “a religious mouthpiece of the Ademola Adeleke-led PDP government,” and queried why clerics would call for the release of allocations despite the Supreme Court’s July 2024 ruling that granted financial autonomy to local governments across Nigeria.
They also cited the case of Attorney General of the Federation vs. Attorney General of Abia State, stressing that the clerics should not ignore the illegality of such a demand.
Governor Adeleke, the group advised, must distance himself from “misleading narratives” to avoid being seen as governing through propaganda.
Commending Osun residents for refusing to protest despite political propaganda, the group praised President Tinubu’s administration for resisting undue pressure and maintaining law and order.
“The Federal Government deserves commendation for ignoring the bullies of the PDP and their clerical allies,” the statement read.
The group also urged the Osun State Government to probe the alleged role of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) in the crisis, stressing the need to preserve accurate records for posterity.
Reminding the judiciary of its responsibility to protect law and order, the group quoted the Quran in urging Muslims to remain vigilant and resist being misled by individuals “masquerading as voices of the Ummah for selfish gains.”
They further appealed to clerics, professional bodies, associations, and royal fathers to remain neutral in politics to sustain peace and harmony in the state.
Earlier, Insight Media reports that the League of Imams and Alfas, in a communiqué signed by its Grand Imam, Imam Musa Animasahun, had called for compliance with the June 22nd ruling of the Court of Appeal, which affirmed the legitimacy of elected PDP local government officials. The League also urged the Federal Government to address the hardship the crisis is causing at the grassroots.
The local government dispute has continued to generate tension between the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Osun and the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC).
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