featured Osun

Strategy To Dislodge Adeleke Through LG Uncovered

ByYusuf Oketola

PublishedOctober 10, 2025

‘APC Planning To Run Alternative Government’
Oyetola, Omisore’s Loyalists Fight Over Council Appointments
As Bank Withdraws Seven-Month Salaries Paid To Yes/No Chairmen
FG Acted Illegally On Withheld LG Funds-Omoluabi Progressives

There is an alleged subterranean plot by the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State to dislodge Governor Ademola Adeleke from Bola Ige House, Abere in 2026, OSUN DEFENDER gathered.

According to multiple sources, the APC has concluded plans to run an alternative government using the local government funds released by the federal government.

The party was said to have identified some projects across the 30 local governments in the state to be implemented with the released allocation, a strategy aimed at weakening and undermining the governor’s structure and presence at the grassroots.

According to a source in one of the councils in Osun East Senatorial District, the APC leadership in the state has constituted a committee to oversee the execution of the approved project with the funds.

“Yes, it is true. Some projects have been listed to be executed with the released local government allocation. The APC has formed a committee to supervise the project. This is part of their campaign strategy and the people may fall for it. The APC will have something to show the people and what the allocation was used for,” the source said.

Also, OSUN DEFENDER gathered that the YES or No Chairmen have made several appointments across councils. The medium learnt that party loyalists have been appointed as Executive Assistants, Supervisory Councillors and Special Advisers. The purported appointments, as gathered by OSUN DEFENDER, have caused discontent between the camp of the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Mr Adegboyega Oyetola and Senator Iyiola Omisore.

Names of APC members who are loyalists of Omisore were removed from the local government appointment list. This was spearheaded by one of Oyetola’s loyalists, Remi Omowaye. Some of the affected local governments are Ilesa West, Ife East among others.

It was gathered that the seven months’ salaries paid to the YES or No council chairmen from the released allocation was reversed by the United Bank of Africa (UBA) on Sunday night after a court order after payment of the ecological fund to their accounts.

Recall that an Oyo State High Court on Friday, October 26, 2025 ordered UBA not to release funds from 30 accounts opened in the names of Osun State’s local governments by court-sacked APC chairmen and councillors.

The interim injunction, in suit number 1/1149/25, was sought by the Attorney-General and Osun State Commissioner for Justice, Oluwole Jimi-Bada, after the Federal Government transferred seized statutory allocations for each of the 30 councils into the disputed accounts on the same day.

Speaking with OSUN DEFENDER In a telephone interview, one of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) council chairman, who does not want his name in print, said the council chairman lacks authority to access the local fund in the absence of other signatories.

He mentioned that signatories to the local government account include the Head of Local Government Administration, Council Chairman, Director of Finance and Director of Admin. But the APC have appointed individuals who are not local government staff as treasurers.

“In Boluwaduro Local Government, the person appointed as treasurer by the chairman is a staff of Iresi Polytechnic. You can imagine the kind of people that want to lead the affairs of our councils. We believe this shenanigan will stop soon,” the chairman stated.

Also, Omoluabi Progressives, a group loyal to former Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, has accused the FG of unlawfully releasing LG allocations in the state to what it described as “illegal” council chairmen loyal to the APC.

The group, in a statement on Monday, warned the chairmen elected during the October 15, 2022 council election held under the administration of former Governor Adegboyega Oyetola, against spending the six months’ allocation recently released to them.

The chairman of the group, Alhaji. Isa Adesiji, said the release of the funds—allegedly paid into accounts belonging to persons not recognised by law—was “a gross violation of financial regulations” and an attempt by the APC-led Federal Government to convert Osun’s public resources into a political war chest.

“Government allocations cannot be paid directly or indirectly into any individual’s account. Doing so amounts to an egregious violation of financial procedures which the ICPC should urgently investigate,” Adesiji said at a press briefing in Osogbo.

“The so-called YES OR NO illegal chairmen must not touch the money. The Federal Government must stop treating Osun people’s resources as the APC’s political war fund.”

Adesiji alleged that the FG, instead of respecting court rulings and upholding due process, was “starving duly elected local government executives” produced by the Peoples Democratic Party administration of Governor Ademola Adeleke while empowering a “disbanded” set of chairmen reinstated by a controversial appellate judgment.

“This unconscionable act amounts to a declaration of war against the Nigerian Constitution and against the people of Osun State. It sets a dangerous precedent where the Federal Government disregards valid court judgments to entrench its party’s rejected cronies in power,” he said.

The Omoluabi Progressives urged professional bodies, civil society groups, and labour unions to resist what it called the Federal Government’s “creeping authoritarianism,” saying the issue went beyond partisan politics and touched on constitutional integrity.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court of Nigeria has reserved judgement in a suit filed by the Osun State Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) over the release of withheld local government funds to disputed council chairmen.

Justice Uwani Aba’aji, who led a seven-member panel, announced during Tuesday’s proceedings that judgement would be delivered at a later date, and both parties would be notified when it is ready.

The tenure of the YES or NO chairman expires on October 22, 2025.

Yusuf Oketola

Yusuf Oketola is a trained journalist with over five years of experience in the media industry. He has worked for both print and online medium. He is a thorough-bred professional with an eye of hindsight on issues bothering on social justice, purposeful leadership, and a society where the leaders charge and work for the prosperity of the people.