The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)-endorsed lawmakers in Osun State have come under fire from the All Progressives Congress (APC) for demanding that federal funds be made available to the state’s local government councils.
The APC claimed that members of the National and State Assemblies who were associated with a PDP faction were lying about the state of local government administration in Osun in a statement released by Kola Olabisi, the APC’s director of media and information for Osun.
The response came after Senator Lere Oyewumi and other PDP lawmakers challenged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to direct the payment of federal allocations to council chairmen and council members they recognize during a news conference held in Osogbo on Saturday.
The APC claims that the lawmakers’ appeal ignores previous court decisions pertaining to council leadership.
The party insisted that those holding posts under its platform were legitimately doing their roles after being rehabilitated by court rulings.
In accordance with the Court of Appeal’s ruling on February 10, 2025, the properly elected chairmen and council members have returned to their duties. According to the statement, “any attempt to characterize them as illegal occupants is a distortion of the facts.”
The APC cited a December 2025 Supreme Court ruling that it claimed clarified the council leadership’s legal standing.
The party claimed that the ruling of the highest court made it apparent who the legitimate officials were.
In response to accusations that APC officials were using police assistance to takeover council secretariats, the party stated that security forces were carrying out their constitutional duty to uphold law and order.
The statement went on to say, “Law enforcement agencies have a duty to ensure peace and compliance with lawful court decisions.”
The PDP parliamentarians’ vote of confidence in Governor Ademola Adeleke and the state party leadership was also questioned by the APC, which said it had nothing to do with the legal concerns pertaining to council administration.
“Elected officials should make sure that their public remarks are consistent with current court rulings. It said that court decisions are not superseded by political endorsements.
The party contended that it would be a violation of the rule of law to allocate federal funds to any group other than those recognized by the courts.
The statement said, “We think the President will act in line with constitutional provisions and established judicial outcomes.”
Regarding internal party dynamics, the APC claimed that some lawmakers’ stances were inconsistent, although it did not elaborate.
It argued that adherence to court orders should not be confused with political differences.
The party mentioned that suspects were presently on trial for the murder of Remi Abass, a local government chairman who had been reinstated in the Irewole Local Government Area.
The APC stated that “justice must be allowed to take its course in all matters before competent courts.”
In the best interests of the locals, the party encouraged Governor Adeleke to cooperate with the APC council members.
“Effective governance still requires collaboration within the legal framework,” the statement continued.
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