Osun State chapter of the Nigeria Union of Native Authorities Staff, NULGE, the All Progressives Congress, APC, and the Peoples Democratic Celebration, PDP, have traded phrases over allegations of unlawful diversion of native authorities funds and the interpretation of court docket judgments regarding council allocations.
Addressing journalists in Osogbo on Sunday, NULGE accused high federal authorities officers of abuse of energy and disrespect for the rule of regulation within the administration of Osun’s native authorities allocations.
The union alleged that the Minister of Finance, the Accountant-Normal of the Federation, and the Lawyer-Normal of the Federation wrongfully launched statutory allocations of Osun’s 30 native authorities councils from March to September 2025 into accounts opened by court-sacked APC chairmen and councillors.
In accordance with NULGE, the funds have been deposited in United Financial institution for Africa, UBA, accounts regardless of subsisting court docket orders and the existence of legit council accounts managed by profession officers as signatories.
“Paying native authorities allocations into privately opened and unlawful financial institution accounts of politicians is unbelievable, weird, and unprecedented within the historical past of public administration in Nigeria,” the union mentioned in a press release.
NULGE reminded the Federal Authorities that the Federal Excessive Courtroom had, on Might 15, 2025, ordered all events to keep up the established order, a call acknowledged by the Central Financial institution of Nigeria.
The case, it added, remains to be pending earlier than the Federal Excessive Courtroom and is scheduled for listening to on Monday, September 29, 2025.
The union insisted that each the Federal Excessive Courtroom and the Courtroom of Attraction had successfully eliminated the APC chairmen and councillors from workplace, paving the way in which for the swearing-in of newly elected native authorities executives.
“The Lawyer-Normal can not assume the function of the Supreme Courtroom by setting apart the judgment of the Courtroom of Attraction. He isn’t above the regulation,” the assertion additional learn.
NULGE additionally warned that undermining judicial authority might destabilise the state and accused unnamed political actors of plotting to create dysfunction to justify a potential state of emergency in Osun.
Regardless of the allegations, the union appealed to residents to stay calm and proceed supporting Governor Ademola Adeleke’s peace and improvement agenda.
“Let all of us place confidence in Almighty God and our courts. By His particular grace, this cup shall quickly move,” the union mentioned.
Nevertheless, in a swift response, the Osun State chapter of the APC, described the NULGE assertion as “a pack of lies and deliberate misrepresentation” meant to serve political pursuits.
In a press launch signed by Kola Olabisi, the get together’s Director of Media and Info, the APC accused the NULGE management, led by Comrade Kehinde Nathaniel Ogungbangbe, of performing as an interpreter of court docket judgments on behalf of the PDP.
“It isn’t the obligation of NULGE to interpret any court docket judgment. The Courtroom of Attraction judgment of 10 February 2025, which reinstated the APC native authorities chairmen and councillors, stays legitimate as there is no such thing as a document that it has been appealed,” the APC acknowledged.
The get together denied allegations that council allocations have been paid into the private accounts of its members or officers, insisting that “the mentioned federal allocations have been paid immediately into the native authorities councils’ accounts.”
The APC urged the union to cease deceptive its members and desist from performing as a political arm of the PDP, advising safety businesses to make sure vigilance and defend the peace-loving individuals of the state.
Reacting, the Osun PDP mentioned it famous the APC’s admission that the funds had been launched.
The ruling get together within the state in a press release by its chairman, Sunday Bisi additionally challenged the APC to reveal the particular accounts into which the allocations have been paid and reveal the signatories to these accounts.
In accordance with the PDP, “statutory officers throughout the 30 native governments, together with the state accountant basic, the auditor-general for native governments, and the Ministry of Native Authorities Affairs, have been unaware of any funds.”
The get together alleged that “the scenario urged diversion of the funds and described the APC’s response as an admission of crime in opposition to the individuals of Osun State.”
The PDP additionally insisted that hurling insults on the Nigeria Union of Native Authorities Staff, NULGE, couldn’t erase the demand for accountability.
It urged the APC to “present particulars of the transactions or danger being accused of staging what it described as “the best heist within the historical past of Nigeria.”
Bisi, who reaffirmed that underneath Governor Ademola Adeleke, transparency and accountability would stay guiding ideas in managing public assets, pressured that no quantity of blackmail would derail the administration.
