The Osun State Government has cautioned the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun, against seeking presidential approval to release withheld local government funds into accounts allegedly operated by former All Progressives Congress (APC) council chairmen and councillors removed by the courts.
In a letter signed by the state’s counsel, Musibau Adetunbi (SAN), and addressed to the minister, the government expressed concern over reports that Edun had written to President Bola Tinubu requesting approval for payment of the disputed funds despite ongoing legal proceedings at the Supreme Court.
The letter, titled “Again, Notification of the Pendency of Suit No: SC/CV/773/2025: Between Attorney General of Osun State v. Attorney General of the Federation in Respect of the Withheld Osun State Local Government Fund,” noted that the case on the seized funds remained before the apex court.
“It is inconceivable that you would ask His Excellency, the President, to authorise the release of funds, which are under legal dispute, to these court-sacked chairmen and councillors,” the letter stated.
The state warned that such action would undermine the rule of law and amount to a “mockery of the administration of justice” as well as of the President’s authority. It further recalled that rulings of both the Federal High Court and Court of Appeal had removed the APC officials from office, and the judgments remain unchallenged.
The Osun Government stressed that the withheld allocations belong to the 30 local government councils in the state and should serve the needs of farmers, teachers, health workers, pensioners, and children — not politicians who had been lawfully removed.
It urged the minister to withdraw any communication to the President on the matter and ensure Osun’s councils are treated like their counterparts in other states, who continue to receive monthly allocations through State-Local Government Joint Accounts.
“As of today, the Federation is in possession of tens of billions of naira belonging to the 30 councils of Osun State. These billions are for the wellbeing of the people, not money that politicians can whimsically appropriate,” the letter read.
The state legal team appealed to the minister to allow the Supreme Court to resolve the dispute without interference.
