Seized allocations: Osun PDP calls for probe of letters authorising go well with switch

The Osun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party has known as on the Chief Decide of the Federal Excessive Court docket, Justice John Tsoho, to research the circumstances surrounding the switch of a case on the non-release of native authorities allocations from the Osogbo division to Abuja.

Native authorities allocations because of Osun councils have been withheld since February amid a tussle between the PDP-led state authorities and the All Progressives Congress over management of the councils.

The APC had argued that chairmen and councillors elected in the course of the October 15, 2022 polls carried out beneath former Governor Adegboyega Oyetola remained in workplace, citing a February 10, 2025 judgment of the Court docket of Appeal, Akure.

However the PDP insisted the appellate ruling didn’t reinstate them, stressing that these elected in the course of the February 22, 2025 native authorities polls are the reputable officeholders.

To resolve the stalemate, Osun’s Legal professional Common, Oluwole Jimi-Bada, filed a go well with marked FHC/OS/CS/94/2025 on the Federal Excessive Court docket, Osogbo, in opposition to the Attorney General of the Federation, the Central Bank of Nigeria, and others, in search of launch of the seized allocations.

Nevertheless, controversy erupted after two letters purportedly from the workplace of the Chief Decide indicated that the case had been moved to Abuja for listening to in the course of the trip interval.

One of many letters, dated August 21, 2025, and signed by Joshua Ibrahim Aji, recognized as Particular Assistant to the Chief Decide, acknowledged that the switch was vital because the defendants have been primarily based in Abuja.

A second letter dated September 2, 2025—signed by an unnamed particular person “for” the Particular Assistant—additionally presupposed to reassign the case.

At a press convention in Osogbo on Thursday, Osun PDP Chairman, Sunday Bisi, described the event as “a gross aberration,” questioning the legality of aides exercising judicial powers.

“Judicial capabilities can’t be delegated to a Particular Assistant who will not be a judicial officer,” Bisi mentioned. “Even worse, the September 2 letter was not signed by the Particular Assistant himself, however by an unknown particular person on his behalf. That letter presupposed to assign a case to a decide, one thing that may solely be lawfully accomplished by a judicial officer.”

He added, “Suspiciously, the September 2 letter was delivered to Osun’s counsel on September 11—greater than per week after it was allegedly signed. We now have each purpose to consider it might have been backdated for political functions. This suspicion is bolstered by the truth that when the case got here up in Abuja on September 8, neither the courtroom nor the events referenced the letter.”

Bisi insisted that any software to maneuver the case should be made brazenly earlier than the presiding decide in Osogbo.

“Anything is illegality,” he declared. “We due to this fact name on the Honourable Chief Decide of the Federal Excessive Court docket to instantly probe these irregularities and decide how individuals purportedly working in his workplace got here to signal letters carrying the drive of judicial authority.”

In the meantime, the tussle over the seized allocations has additionally moved to the Supreme Court docket.

On August 27, 2025, The PidomNigeria reported that the Osun State Authorities, by its Legal professional Common and a crew led by Mike Ozekhome (SAN) and Musibau Adetunbi (SAN), filed a recent go well with in opposition to the Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN).

Within the originating summons, Osun is asking the apex courtroom to compel the Federal Authorities to launch all withheld funds, describing the seizure as “unconstitutional and arbitrary.”

The state additionally desires a perpetual injunction restraining future seizures.

The federal government argued that the AGF ignored subsisting judgments of the Federal Excessive Court docket, Osogbo (November 30, 2022) and the Court docket of Appeal (June 13, 2025), which affirmed the legitimacy of the February 2025 native authorities elections.

The AGF had, in a March 26, 2025 letter, suggested that the funds stay frozen pending decision of a “native authorities disaster”—a place the state mentioned was untenable after the appellate ruling.

In its prayers, the state raised 5 constitutional questions, together with whether or not the AGF is sure beneath Part 287 of the 1999 Structure (as amended) to implement legitimate courtroom judgments, and whether or not his directive to withhold funds might stand within the face of such rulings.

Osun additional filed an affidavit warning that continuing with the Abuja case whereas the Supreme Court docket is seized of the matter might result in conflicting judgments.

The Everlasting Secretary, Ministry of Native Authorities and Chieftaincy Affairs, Olufemi Akande Ogundun, described the AGF’s actions as “an affront to the rule of legislation,” citing precedents resembling A.G. Kano State v. A.G. Federation (2007) and RMAFC v. A.G. Rivers State (2023).

The state additionally accused the AGF of “self-induced urgency,” noting that he delayed responding to the Osogbo go well with for over 80 days earlier than submitting an affidavit of urgency on August 13, 2025.

It argued that the Chief Decide’s switch order “casts the lot of the courtroom with the AGF” and dangers making a notion of bias.