NBA Demands Release Of Osun LG Funds As Obas Appeal To Tinubu

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has urged the Federal Government to immediately release statutory allocations owed to local government councils in Osun State, describing the continued withholding of the funds as unconstitutional and a threat to the rule of law.

In a letter dated August 19, 2025, and addressed to the Attorney General of the Federation, the association warned that the action, if true, amounted to “clear impunity.” The letter was jointly signed by NBA President, Mazi Afam Osigwe (SAN), and General Secretary, Mobolaji Ojibara.

The NBA noted reports that funds due to the councils had not been released since February 2025 and insisted there was no legal justification for such a decision. It cited Section 162 of the 1999 Constitution and Supreme Court rulings which prohibit the President from suspending or withholding statutory allocations to local governments.

According to the association, judicial pronouncements had already settled the leadership question in Osun councils. While the 2022 APC-led councils were nullified by court rulings, fresh elections held on February 22, 2025, produced Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) officials, who remain the “only valid and legitimate” occupants of the offices.

The NBA warned that denying the PDP-led councils access to their funds undermines Sections 7 and 162 of the Constitution, which guarantee financial autonomy for local governments. It tasked the Attorney General to act swiftly or risk legal action from the association’s National Litigation Committee.

Meanwhile, Osun traditional rulers, under the Council of Obas, held a meeting at the Ooni of Ife’s palace on Tuesday and appealed directly to President Bola Tinubu to intervene.

In their communiqué, the monarchs said the non-release of allocations had crippled grassroots governance and worsened hardship in rural communities. They called on the President to resolve the crisis, describing themselves as “apolitical fathers of the land” only concerned about restoring functional local governments.

They added that unblocking the funds would revitalize rural development and strengthen traditional institutions to complement the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda.