The Osun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has leveled serious accusations against the Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, and the Minister for Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, alleging their complicity in withholding local government allocations due to the state. The PDP claims this action is a deliberate attempt to undermine the democratically elected PDP local government chairmen and councillors, whose legitimacy was affirmed by a Court of Appeal judgment. The party is calling for international intervention, including visa bans and other sanctions against Fagbemi and Oyetola, urging Western embassies and global rights organizations to hold them accountable for what they describe as a threat to democratic governance. The PDP contends that these officials are insisting on disbursing funds to APC-affiliated chairmen previously removed by the court, thereby obstructing the rightful administration of local governance in Osun State.
The PDP further emphasizes the severity of the situation, framing it as a blatant disregard for the rule of law and a potential precursor to broader electoral manipulation in future state and national elections. They have vowed to escalate their protests to international bodies such as Transparency International, the International Crisis Group, and Amnesty International, seeking investigations and reports on the alleged democratic threats in Osun State. The party intends to use the 2026 governorship election as a test case, highlighting potential risks and opportunities for electoral integrity and urging international scrutiny. This sustained pressure, they believe, will ensure the release of the withheld allocations and allow the duly elected PDP officials to fulfill their mandates.
Conversely, the All Progressives Congress (APC) vehemently denies the PDP’s accusations, labeling them as misinformation and disinformation designed to mislead the public and the international community. The APC asserts that the local government allocations are not being withheld and that the rightful recipients are in the process of receiving them. They point to a Court of Appeal judgment delivered on February 10, 2025, which they claim reinstated the APC-affiliated council chairmen and councillors. They question the PDP’s failure to appeal this judgment and their apparent attempt to withdraw a pending case before the Supreme Court, suggesting a lack of genuine legal standing.
The APC further accuses the PDP of being a “meddlesome interloper” in the matter, especially in light of the Supreme Court’s earlier judgment granting autonomy to local governments. They argue that the PDP’s actions undermine this autonomy and question their motives. Furthermore, the APC highlights the state government’s alleged N84 billion debt, purportedly accrued from diverted local government allocations, as a more pressing concern that the PDP is attempting to deflect attention from. This debt, they argue, represents a clear violation of the Supreme Court ruling and demonstrates the PDP’s hypocrisy in raising concerns about financial impropriety.
This clash of narratives underscores the ongoing political tension in Osun State regarding local government control and the allocation of resources. Each party presents a different interpretation of the legal landscape and accuses the other of manipulating the situation for political gain. The PDP frames the issue as a fight for democratic principles and the rule of law, while the APC portrays the PDP’s actions as a desperate attempt to regain power and deflect attention from their alleged financial mismanagement.
The involvement of international bodies adds another layer of complexity to this already contentious issue. The PDP’s appeal to international organizations raises the stakes and introduces the possibility of external pressure on the Nigerian government. The APC’s counter-narrative seeks to discredit the PDP’s claims and portray them as unfounded. The ultimate outcome of this dispute will likely depend on the interpretation and enforcement of relevant court judgments and the effectiveness of the PDP’s international campaign. The situation highlights the challenges of decentralized governance in Nigeria and the potential for political disputes to escalate into broader conflicts involving legal and international actors.
