Osun Monarchs Hit By Cash Crunch As LG Funds Remain Seized

Traditional rulers in Osun State say they are struggling to run their palaces following the continued seizure of allocations meant for the state’s 30 local governments.

By law, five percent of each council’s allocation goes to the traditional councils for palace administration and the upkeep of monarchs. But since March 2025, the Federal Government has withheld the funds due to a legal tussle over the control of local governments between the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC), which is backed by Abuja.

The crisis deepened after another ruling by the Action People’s Party (APP) against the APC, though the ruling party insists on enforcing an earlier judgement that reinstated its sacked chairmen.

Governor Ademola Adeleke’s administration had been covering the five percent for the monarchs until three months ago when the state could no longer sustain the payments. Palace workers say the situation has become dire, with staff unpaid for three months and some obas unable to fuel their cars.

At a statutory meeting held on July 3 in Osogbo, the monarchs agreed to send a delegation to President Bola Tinubu to seek a political solution. However, some senior traditional rulers are reportedly reluctant to spearhead the move, fearing it could be interpreted as opposition to the APC or Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid.

The Ataoja of Osogbo, Oba Jimoh Olanipekun, voiced his frustration during the recent Osun Osogbo Festival, urging Tinubu to intervene. He warned that the standoff could have political consequences ahead of 2027.

“Tinubu should release our money. Osun people need their entitlements. If he does, when election time comes, I will be there,” the monarch said.

Local government secretariats in the state have been shut for nearly seven months, many now abandoned and overtaken by weeds, reflecting the wider breakdown caused by the impasse.