- Safiu Kehinde
Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has dragged the Federal Government to the Supreme Court over the alleged unlawful seizure of statutory allocations belonging to the state’s 30 local government councils.
Adeleke, in a originating summons, filed on Monday through the state Attorney-General, challenged the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Lateef Fagbemi, for what it described as the unconstitutional withholding of council funds since March 2025.
The plaintiff represented by Mike Ozekhome (SAN) and Musibau Adetunbi (SAN) urged the apex court to compel the Federal Government to release all withheld funds.
They argued that the AGF failed to comply with subsisting judgments of both the Federal High Court, Osogbo Division, delivered on November 30, 2022, and the Court of Appeal ruling of June 13, 2025, which recognised the local government chairmen and councillors elected on February 22, 2025.
This according to the plaintiff was followed by the withholding of the LG allocation from March 2025 till date.
The state in multiple declarations, held that the AGF has no constitutional power to withhold local council allocations or to act in contravention of valid court judgments.
It also wants the Supreme Court to order the immediate release of all allocations withheld since March, to be paid directly into the accounts of the duly elected councils, among others.
The Osun state government also seek a perpetual injunction to prevent future seizures of council funds so long as democratically elected councils remain in office.
In supporting documents, the state described the Federal Government’s stance as “an affront to the rule of law,” stressing that only the Supreme Court can resolve the constitutional questions.
No date has yet been fixed for hearing the case.