The Osun State chapter of the National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) has accused the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Lateef Fagbemi, of attempting to divert local government funds through what it described as a “backdoor plot” using a vacation court in Abuja.
During a press briefing held in Osogbo on Monday, the state president of NULGE, Dr. Kehinde Ogungbangbe, alleged that there were clandestine moves to use the ongoing legal dispute over Osun local government allocations to favour sacked All Progressives Congress (APC) chairmen and councillors.
Ogungbangbe recalled that the Osun State Government had, on 12th May 2025, approached the Federal High Court to restrain the Central Bank of Nigeria, the Accountant-General of the Federation and other parties from diverting the funds.
He said the court subsequently ordered all parties to maintain the status quo.
He, however, alleged that attempts were later made to open accounts in favour of the removed council officials until the Court of Appeal, in its ruling of 13th June 2025, affirmed their removal and halted the process.
“Months after that judgment, the Office of the Chief Law Officer of the Federation has suddenly raised claims of urgency, pushing for the matter to be rushed in Abuja during the vacation. We ask: why the sudden rush, and why Abuja? This urgency is nothing but a self-created one,” Ogungbangbe said.
The NULGE leader further accused the AGF’s office of misleading the court by claiming it had not been served with processes, despite an affidavit of service already filed by the court bailiff.
According to him, the move amounted to a calculated attempt to ambush justice and smuggle through what the appellate court had already dismissed.
“The Court of Appeal has spoken clearly that the February 22nd, 2025, local government election in Osun State remains valid, and that the sacked APC officials have no tenure. So what is left to be heard urgently? We see this as a plot to rob the people through legal shortcuts,” he added.
Ogungbangbe warned that the funds in question belonged to the grassroots people of Osun State and not to any group of politicians.
He stressed that any attempt to subvert the will of the people through the courts would be resisted by all lawful means available.
Quoting Uthman Dan Fodio, he said, “Conscience is an open wound; only truth can heal it.” He also cited Abraham Lincoln’s warning that silence in the face of tyranny was complicity, insisting that the union would not keep quiet while “powerful interests attempt to loot the resources of the poor.”
NULGE therefore called on the judiciary to resist any pressure to entertain the case during vacation, and urged Nigerians to remain vigilant.
“This is about justice, due process, and the protection of Osun people’s rights. We are watching closely, and we will not allow the abuse of judicial procedures to deprive our members and the citizens of their rightful funds,” Ogungbangbe declared.
Sodiq Lawal is a passionate and dedicated journalist with a knack for uncovering captivating stories in the bustling metropolis of Osun State and Nigeria at large. He has a versatile reporting style, covering a wide range of topics, from politics , campus, and social issues to arts and culture, seeking impact in all facets of the society.
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