Legal fireworks erupted on Monday at the Federal High Court, Abuja, as the Osun State Government opposed the transfer of its suit challenging the recognition of sacked local government chairmen from the Osogbo Division to Abuja.
The case, filed by Osun’s Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Oluwole Jimi-Bada, seeks to restrain the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Accountant General of the Federation, and the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) from opening or operating accounts for local government chairmen elected on the All Progressives Congress (APC) platform in 2022. The Osun Government maintains the officials were removed from office by a subsisting court judgment.
At Monday’s hearing, counsel to the plaintiff, Musibau Adetunbi (SAN), told Justice Emeka Nwite that two motions had been filed: one challenging the Abuja court’s jurisdiction to hear the matter and another seeking discontinuance of the suit against the AGF. The plaintiff argued that the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho, erred in transferring the case to Abuja despite his own vacation notice specifying that only courts in Abuja, Lagos, and Port Harcourt should handle urgent matters.
The state further alleged bias in the transfer, accusing the AGF of creating a “self-induced urgency” to push for expedited hearing and insisting that only a vacation judge in Lagos had jurisdiction to hear the case during the break. It also claimed the AGF’s actions were designed to facilitate payment of allocations to the sacked APC chairmen.
Counsel to the AGF, Chief Akin Olujimi (SAN), disputed service of the motion to discontinue the case against his client and argued that proceedings could not be halted without a court order. Counsel to the CBN, Dr. Muritala Abdulrasheed (SAN), and the Accountant General’s lawyer, Tajudeen Oladoja (SAN), both urged the court to proceed, warning that delays could render the case academic.
After hearing submissions, Justice Nwite adjourned the matter until September 22, 2025, for the hearing of all pending applications.
The Osun Government is specifically asking the court for interim orders restraining the CBN and the Accountant General from opening or maintaining accounts, or disbursing allocations, in favour of the sacked APC chairmen and councillors.
