The disagreement over the control and administration of local governments in Osun State intensified on Wednesday, the 28th of January, 2026, with Governor Ademola Adeleke, the state government and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) jointly rejecting claims by the All Progressives Congress (APC) that its removed council chairmen were still legally entitled to occupy their offices.
In separate reactions released in Osogbo, both the PDP and the state government argued that recent judicial proceedings and existing court rulings had stripped the APC’s position of any legal foundation.
Governor Adeleke again accused the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, of playing a central role in fuelling the local government crisis in the state, alleging that the former governor was behind ongoing disruptions in council administration.
According to Adeleke, the tenure claimed by the APC-backed chairmen expired in 2025 and could not be extended under existing laws or Supreme Court precedents.
In a statement issued by his spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, the governor criticised Oyetola’s submissions on the crisis, describing him as the main architect of the current paralysis and the hardship being experienced by residents across Osun State.
He said, “Under what authority is Mr Oyetola and his cronies in the guise of council chairmen disbursing funds meant for salaries of local government workers. Under what authority is he deciding who gets paid or not? Why are they not paying salaries of local health workers, local teachers and local retirees?”
The governor also warned the minister against linking President Bola Tinubu to the dispute, urging him to stop dragging the President’s name into the controversy.
Separately, the Osun State Government highlighted developments at the Federal High Court sitting in Osogbo, where the APC had filed a suit challenging issues surrounding local government tenure.
The Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, disclosed in a statement that the matter, which was scheduled for hearing on Wednesday, was adjourned to the 4th of March, 2026, due to the absence of legal representation for the APC.
According to Alimi, “none of the legal representatives listed by the APC, including three Senior Advocates of Nigeria, appeared when the matter was called.
“The election conducted on October 15, 2022 was nullified by the Federal High Court because it violated the Electoral Act.”
He noted that no subsequent judgement had restored the APC chairmen to office, contrary to the party’s repeated assertions.
Alimi further stated that the government was troubled by the APC’s continued reliance on an unresolved court case to justify its presence in council secretariats.
“They filed a suit and are yet to diligently pursue it, yet they claim it is the basis for their continued stay in the secretariats,” he said.
The commissioner also raised concerns over the management of local government allocations during the period of dispute, accusing the APC of misrepresenting facts surrounding council finances.
Reacting to a press briefing by the Osun APC leadership, the PDP accused the opposition party of attempting to legitimise what it described as an unlawful and expired occupation of local government offices across the state.
In a statement signed by its state chairman, Sunday Bisi, the PDP maintained that the APC chairmen lacked a valid mandate from the beginning, stressing that their election had been voided by the courts before Governor Adeleke assumed office.
“Governor Ademola Adeleke did not sack any local government officials. The courts invalidated an election that was conducted in breach of the Electoral Act,” the party said.
The PDP explained that the dispute over local government funds stemmed from ongoing legal battles linked to the 2022 council election conducted under the previous APC administration.
It added that the governor, as the state’s chief executive, was constitutionally obligated to protect public funds allocated for grassroots development until the legal issues were conclusively resolved.
The party also appealed to President Bola Tinubu to intervene by advising party members in Osun State to respect court rulings and allow due process to prevail.
“The situation in Osun requires adherence to the rule of law to prevent further tension at the grassroots,” the PDP said.
In response, the Special Adviser to the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, Dr. Bolaji Akinola, accused Governor Adeleke of making false claims against his predecessor regarding the ongoing local government impasse.
Akinola, in a statement issued on Wednesday, the 28th of January, alleged that Adeleke was spreading misinformation to mask administrative shortcomings and disregard for judicial authority.
Addressing allegations that Oyetola was influencing the withholding of local government funds, Akinola dismissed the claims as baseless.
READ ALSO: Adeleke, Oyetola’s Team Clash Over Osun LG Crisis
He described them as “nothing more than a desperate attempt to deflect attention from his glaring incompetence and serial abuse of the judicial process.”
According to him, Oyetola had no role in disrupting local government financing in Osun State, adding that, “if there is any delay or complication in financial disbursements, the responsibility lies squarely with the Adeleke-led Osun State Government, which has flooded the courts with lawsuits in a failed attempt to overturn settled judicial decisions. No serious government sabotages its own legal standing and then seeks scapegoats for the consequences.”
He further accused the governor of previously crippling local government administration by instigating a prolonged strike involving council workers.
“The local government secretariats are open and functioning. Services continue to run, workers are back to their posts, and council administrations are carrying out their statutory responsibilities. The narrative of paralysis exists only in the imagination of a governor using falsehood to seek public sympathy,” he said.
Akinola also cited a Court of Appeal judgment delivered on February 10, 2025, which he said reinstated elected local government chairmen in Osun State, noting that the Osun State Government did not appeal the ruling, making it final and binding.
On allegations of tenure extension by APC chairmen, the minister’s aide insisted that the officials were elected for a three-year term and were “removed illegally within weeks of assuming office. Any suggestion to the contrary amounted to ignorance or intentional misinformation.”
He concluded by stating that the tenure matter remains before the courts and advised Governor Adeleke to refrain from interfering in the affairs of local governments, citing Supreme Court rulings that granted full financial autonomy to councils
nationwide.