The Osun State chapter of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) has accused senior federal officials of abusing their power and disregarding the rule of law in the handling of local‑government allocations. NULGE says the Minister of Finance, the Accountant‑General of the Federation and the Attorney‑General of the Federation improperly released statutory allocations for Osun’s 30 local government councils into accounts controlled by sacked APC chairmen and councillors. The funds were deposited into United Bank for Africa (UBA) accounts despite existing court orders and the existence of legitimate council accounts managed by career officers. The union called the move “unbelievable, bizarre and unprecedented” in Nigeria’s public‑administration history.
The Federal High Court had ordered all parties to maintain the status quo on 15 May 2025, a decision acknowledged by the Central Bank of Nigeria. The case remains pending before the Federal High Court, with a hearing set for 29 September 2025. NULGE insists that both the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal have removed the APC chairmen and councillors from office, paving the way for newly elected local‑government executives to assume their positions. The union warned that undermining judicial authority could destabilise the state and accused unnamed political actors of plotting disorder.
In response, the Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) described NULGE’s statement as “a pack of lies and deliberate misrepresentation” designed to serve political interests. The APC alleged that NULGE’s leadership was acting as an interpreter of court judgments on behalf of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). It denied accusations that council allocations were paid into personal accounts of its members or officials, insisting that the funds were transferred directly into local‑government council accounts.
The PDP reacted to the APC’s defence, challenging the party to disclose the specific accounts into which the allocations were paid and to reveal the signatories on those accounts. The PDP claimed that statutory officers across the 30 local governments were unaware of any payments, suggesting a diversion of funds. It urged the APC to provide transaction details or risk being accused of staging a massive heist.
The controversy over the management of local‑government allocations in Osun State has ignited a heated debate among the APC, PDP and NULGE. With the case still pending in court, the situation remains volatile, and calls for accountability and transparency in public‑resource management continue to grow.
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