By Sunday Ameh
The Osun State Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, has alleged that local government allocations meant for the state are being paid directly into accounts operated by officials backed by the All Progressives Congress.
Alimi made the allegation on Thursday during an interview on Frontline, a current affairs programme on Eagle 102.5 FM, Ilese-Ijebu, less than 48 hours before the Osun State governorship election.
The commissioner claimed that the arrangement had placed a monthly financial burden of about N6.5bn on the administration of Governor Ademola Adeleke, which he said had been forced to shoulder local government salary obligations from the state’s resources.
According to Alimi, officials of the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, the Attorney-General of the Federation and the Minister of Finance allegedly facilitated the opening of separate accounts for APC-backed local government officials.
He said, “What is happening in Osun is an aberration. The office of the Accountant-General, in collusion with the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and the Minister of Finance, all colluded together, and asked the APC to go and open an account for the federal local government in UBA.”
The commissioner alleged that the accounts were being operated by individuals he described as “yes/no chairmen” selected by the APC.
“Those people, they usually call yes/no chairman, that the APC selected among themselves are the signatory to all the accounts they opened and they are spending money,” he alleged.
Alimi further disputed claims that the disputed allocations were being paid into the state’s joint account, insisting that Osun was being treated differently from other states.
“They are still paying the money to the joint account but in Osun, it is not only that they are paying them to illegal set of people, they are paying them to APC,” he alleged.
He argued that elected political office holders were not ordinarily expected to be signatories to government accounts.
The commissioner said the state government had challenged the arrangement in court, adding that the matter had progressed through the judicial system.
He also questioned the Federal Government’s implementation of the Supreme Court’s July 2024 judgment on local government autonomy, asking why, according to him, Osun was being treated differently.
“Despite the July judgment of 2024 Supreme Court on autonomy, the Federal Government has not started implementation in any other state, in every state of the federation. The issue is, why is that of the Osun different?” he asked.
Alimi said the local government salary obligation in Osun stood at about N6.5bn monthly based on the current minimum wage.
He explained that local governments were responsible for the payment of primary school teachers, health workers, local government employees, some pensioners and traditional rulers.
“The salary implication of responsibility of a local government in Osun as at today, based on the minimum wage that we have paid is N6.5 billion,” he said.
According to him, the Adeleke administration had been meeting the obligation with state funds since February 2025.
He claimed that Osun’s average monthly allocation was between N11bn and N12bn, while the state government’s own monthly salary obligation was about N8bn.
Alimi alleged that the state had spent about N100bn of its resources to cushion the financial impact, while the broader financial exposure connected with the dispute was approaching N300bn.
“They know that immediately Adeleke wins, all their delay in the cases will be removed, and at the end of the day, they will have to answer for almost N300 billion,” he alleged.
‘We won’t be intimidated’
The commissioner also alleged that the financial dispute was part of a broader attempt to create tension and discourage voters from participating in Saturday’s election.
“They are facing a populace that are highly enlightened. They are facing a populace that has resolved that this set of people will not be allowed again,” he said.
Alimi urged residents to turn out and vote despite what he described as attempts at intimidation.
“We will refuse to be intimidated. Our people will stand by their vote, will come out to vote and will stand by their vote and we are going to defeat them,” he said.
He further alleged that APC-backed council officials had remained in office beyond the tenure he claimed began in October 2022, despite a court judgment ordering them to vacate their positions.
Alimi said the officials had appealed the judgment and that the ongoing legal process had prolonged the local government crisis.
He also accused the council officials of using some of the disputed funds to purchase vehicles for the police, alleging that the expenditure was presented as part of efforts to tackle insecurity.
The commissioner maintained that the local government funding controversy remained a major financial and political issue ahead of Saturday’s governorship election.
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