The Osun State Government has taken the Federal Government to the Supreme Court, challenging the alleged unlawful seizure of statutory allocations meant for its 30 local government councils since March 2025.
SAVANNAH NEWSNOW reports reports that the state has filed a lawsuit, through its Attorney-General, against the Attorney-General of the Federation for allegedly withholding funds from democratically elected councils in an unconstitutional manner.
A court action has been initiated by a team led by Mike Ozekhome (SAN) and Musibau Adetunbi (SAN) to compel President Bola Tinubu’s administration to release all withheld allocations and comply with existing judgments validating the councils elected on February 22, 2025.
According to court filings, the AGF ordered the suspension of funds in a letter dated March 26, 2025, citing a crisis in the state’s local governments.
Osun, however, pointed out that the Federal High Court in Osogbo and the Court of Appeal had previously ruled in favour of the newly elected councils, while invalidating the October 15, 2022 polls held under the previous administration.
The state is asking the Supreme Court to declare that the AGF lacks the constitutional authority to withhold local government allocations or disregard valid court judgments, and to issue a perpetual injunction against future seizures of funds as long as elected councils remain in office.
“The seizure, suspension, withholding and refusal to pay the allocations and revenues due to the local government councils of the plaintiff state is unconstitutional, unlawful and ultra vires the powers of the defendant,” the summons partly reads.
