The Accord Party (ACP) has charged the federal government to release the N130 billion withheld Osun State Local Government Area statutory allocations.
National Chairman of the party, Maxwell Mgbudem, in a statement, at the weekend said it was unfair for the federal government to withhold funds meant for effective and efficient governance at the grassroots.
He said: “Accord demands the immediate release of the ₦130bn statutory allocations to Osun State Local Governments illegally withheld by the Federal Government.”
Mgbudem also demanded the vacation of local government secretariats in Osun State by the court-sacked All Progressives Congress (APC) chairmen and councilors whose purported election was nullified by the Federal High Court, Osogbo, in November 2022 and upheld by the Court of Appeal on February 10, 2025, and again on June 13, 2025, on the grounds that it was conducted in flagrant violation of the requirements of the law.
According to him, the tenure of the APC officials “in the charade called election expired on 22nd October 2024.”
He added that there was no justification for them to continue to occupy the secretariats in Osun State backed and protected by the Police as if “Nigeria were not a Banana Republic with no rule of law and where might is right.”
Describing the situation as “outrageous and a calculated assault on the nation’s hard earned democracy, Mgbudem said: “Throwing patriotism, decency and integrity to the wind, the ex-APC chairmen and councilors recently rushed to the Federal High Court seeking an extension of their expired tenure by judicial fiat, forgetting that the court is the temple of justice, and those who come to equity must come with clean hands.
“This forum shopping is a delay tactics to continue the siege on Osun local government secretariats.
“It is obvious that there is no place in the nation’s Constitution and Electoral Act that permits tenure extension for any elected official.
“These anti-democratic forces have chosen to make a mockery of our representative governance. It is unacceptable and will be resisted by all lovers of democracy in Nigeria. We have a duty to safeguard our civil rule.”
He, therefore, urged the Inspector General of Police, (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, to withdraw Police protection of illegal occupants of the secretariats in the state in clear contempt of court orders and judgements, and expiration of their delusional mandate that has no basis in law.
“The only lawful Local Government leaders in Osun State are the Chairmen and Councilors elected on 22nd February 2025 and sworn-in on 23rd February 2025, as ordered by the Osun State High Court.
“They deserve Police protection to discharge their constitutional duties along with civil servants who were chased away by these desperate and expired politicians long rejected by the good people of Osun State.
“Accord calls on President Bola Tinubu to quickly intervene and save governance at grassroots level in Osun State. The need to restore order and democratic values in these Local Governments cannot be overemphasized.
“Accord condemns this assault on the nation’s democracy by reactionary forces who want to cause confusion and political upheaval with a view to declaring a state of emergency in Osun State,” he said.
The Accord Party Chairman commended Governor Ademola Adeleke for his political sagacity, maturity, restraint and respect for the rule of law in the face of provocation, denouncing what he described as the display of “rascality and recklessness by these ex-APC chairmen, councilors and their sponsors who want to discredit the Governor’s progressive, people-oriented government that has transformed the State.”
“Accord passes a vote of confidence in Senator Adeleke’s leadership and urges him to remain focused in delivering dividends of democracy to the people. The party stands with him and joins citizens in taking Osun State to greater heights.
“Osun State is Accord stronghold, in one accord we shall build a prosperous society future generations will be proud of,” Mgbudem surmised.
