The Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) has accused the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) of attempting to divert the ongoing case on Osun State local government allocations to a vacation court in Abuja.
The dispute stems from a suit filed by the Osun State Attorney-General, Mr Oluwole Jimi-Bada, seeking four reliefs, including an order restraining the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Accountant-General of the Federation, and the AGF from opening or maintaining accounts for council chairmen elected in October 2022. That election, contested solely by All Progressives Congress (APC) candidates, has since been annulled by competent courts.
Speaking to journalists at the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Abere, Osun State, the state president of NULGE, Mr Nathaniel Ogungbangbe, disclosed that the AGF had already been served with court processes on 16 May 2025, contrary to his claims of non-service.
He explained that the Osun State Attorney-General had approached the Federal High Court to restrain federal institutions from disbursing allocations to the sacked APC chairmen and councillors, whose removal has been upheld by various courts.
Ogungbangbe alleged that there was a calculated effort to use the Abuja vacation court to secure a favourable ruling. “We smell a plot to use the Abuja vacation court to give through the backdoor what the Court of Appeal has already denied. But justice cannot be ambushed. The people of Osun State will not allow their resources to be stolen under the cover of judicial manoeuvres,” he warned.
The NULGE leader insisted that the disputed funds belong to the local governments and, ultimately, to the people of Osun State. He maintained that delaying the matter until its scheduled hearing would not deprive citizens of their rights, but a hurried vacation trial raised serious concerns.
He reaffirmed that the union remains committed to legality rather than political rivalry. “We are not interested in who controls the local government areas. But the truth must be said: we believe in the rule of law, and it must be respected by all. There is a procedure by which we access local government funds, and that procedure must be followed to the letter,” he stated.
Ogungbangbe also clarified that NULGE workers were not on strike but had stayed away from offices for safety reasons following the February 17, 2025 incident. “We should all follow due process. There is no sacrifice that is too much for peace. Until that peace is attained, we will stay away,” he said.
He called on the judiciary to resist pressure and reject any attempt to shift the matter to a vacation hearing.
Meanwhile, traditional rulers across Osun State, under the aegis of the Osun Council of Obas, have called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to urgently intervene in the stalemate. They warned that the prolonged obstruction of local government allocations had paralysed activities across the state.
At a meeting held at the Ooni’s Palace, Ile-Ife, and chaired by the Ooni of Ife, Ooni Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, the monarchs lamented that the situation had crippled governance and disrupted community life.
The communiqué, read by the Orangun of Oke-Ila, Oba Adedokun Abolarin, Aroyinkeye I, explained that the traditional institution and communities across the 30 local government areas and the area office had been severely affected by the prolonged non-payment of funds.
The monarchs argued that traditional rulers, as natural leaders and closest to the people, play critical roles in nation-building, human development, and community engagement. They expressed concern that the stoppage of funds had weakened their ability to serve effectively.
They stressed that traditional institutions across the country are sustained by five per cent deductions from local government allocations, and without these resources, it had become nearly impossible to meet community needs.
“It amazes us daily to see secretariats suddenly inactive because allocations meant for their smooth running have been withheld for several months, over issues that have nothing to do with the common people currently bearing the brunt.
“Our markets, community roads and other responsibilities of the local government are suffering badly, and we as traditional rulers cannot pretend not to see this decay,” the statement read.
The monarchs appealed directly to President Tinubu: “We call on Mr President to intervene as father of the nation. We will be glad if he can hear the cries of ordinary community dwellers across our farmlands and villages, who are suffering from the total shutdown of local government activities for months.”
They added that resolving the crisis would not only benefit Osun State, especially rural communities, but would also re-energise the traditional institution to support the federal government’s “Renewed Hope Agenda.” They expressed confidence in the President’s ability to resolve the blockade of Osun State local government allocations, noting his earlier efforts to assign constitutional roles to traditional rulers in fostering rural development and civic engagement.
