Osun LGA Allocations: Osun Muslim Clerics, Stakeholders Urge for Calm

Yinka Kolawole in Osogbo
 

Osun State Muslim Stakeholders and League of Alfas yesterday pleaded for calm amid the ongoing crisis surrounding the state’s withheld local government funds.

Speaking at a press briefing held at NUJ Press Centre in Osogbo, Sheik Khozeem AbdurRaham, President and Mallam Abdul Ganiyy Sahid Esra, general secretary respectively described as “a media-driven misrepresentation of facts, political manipulation, and abuse of religious influence” surrounding the contentious issue.

According to them, the crisis dated back to October 2022, when local government elections were held under the administration of Governor Gboyega Oyetola of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

He posited that these elections were nullified by a Federal High Court ruling in November 2022, leading to the dissolution of the councils by the newly sworn-in Governor Ademola Adeleke of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

However, the APC won an appeal in February 2025, resulting in the reinstatement of its elected chairmen and councilors. Political tensions rose sharply thereafter, culminating in the tragic killing of one local government chairman.

Despite the appeal court’s ruling, the PDP-led state government announced fresh local government elections on February 22, 2025 – a move deemed illegal by the Attorney General of the Federation and opposed by national security agencies.

What followed was a legal standoff across multiple courts—from state high courts to the Court of Appeal and even the Supreme Court—resulting in conflicting interpretations.

While the Court of Appeal ruled in favour of the APC in one instance, it later refused to relist a related case, which the PDP and Osun State Government hailed as a legal victory.

But the group insists no court has officially validated the February 2025 elections conducted by the PDP.

Amid this stalemate, the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) declared a strike, vacating council offices and halting grassroots administration.

As the legal uncertainty persisted, religious leaders and traditional institutions began to weigh in. On August 27, 2025, a statement attributed to the League of Imams and Alfas of Osun State called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to release the LG allocations to the PDP-led government.

However, yesterday the Concerned Muslim Stakeholders and League of Alfas disassociated themselves from that statement, describing it as misleading, politically motivated, and contrary to Islamic teachings.

Quoting the Qur’an (Surah Al-Hujuraat 49:6), the group emphasized the Islamic principle of truthful investigation: “If there comes to you a transgressor with news, investigate, lest you harm people in ignorance and regret what you’ve done.”

They accused sections of the media including TV personalities, newspapers, social media influencers, and even members of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) of promoting propaganda that falsely blamed the federal government and the APC for withholding funds.

In reality, they argued, it was the Osun State Government that filed court motions to halt the disbursement.

“Present a single court judgment that validates the PDP’s February 2025 elections.”

According to them, no one has met that challenge to date.

In their closing remarks, the Muslim stakeholders urged clerics, traditional rulers, civil servants, and professional bodies to remain politically neutral, cautioning against dragging religious platforms into partisan battles.

They commended President Tinubu’s administration for respecting the rule of law and allowing due process to take its course, while also praising Osun citizens for refusing to be manipulated by misinformation.

“What could have been a quiet affair in governance has now turned into a showcase of legal gymnastics, media warfare, religious controversy, and political tension,” the group noted.