LG disaster: Osun APC accuses Oyo decide of bias

The Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress has petitioned the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, accusing Justice Ladiran Akintola of an Oyo State Excessive Court docket of issuing “unlawful orders with out jurisdiction” in two fits introduced earlier than him.

The petition, dated October 8, 2025, and addressed to the CJN in her capability as Chair of the Nationwide Judicial Council, alleges that Justice Akintola granted “far-reaching interim orders” that blocked entry to constitutionally allotted federal funds for all Native Authorities Councils in Osun State.

A duplicate of the petition was obtained by our correspondent in Abuja on Friday.

The APC alleges that the decide’s actions had brought about “large governance collapse” throughout the 30 Native Authorities Areas and the Space Workplace.

The petition was signed by the APC State Secretary, Alao Kamoru, and the Chairman of Osogbo Native Authorities, Saheed Onibonokuta, who insisted that the decide’s orders displayed “evident bias, lack of jurisdiction and potential collusion with Claimants.”

“Justice Akintola acted with out jurisdiction,” the petition emphasised.

The celebration alleged that the Osun State Authorities, by means of the Lawyer-Basic and the Nationwide Union of Native Authorities Staff, had filed a number of fits aimed toward stopping APC-elected chairmen from accessing native authorities allocations since February 2025.

“After the Federal Authorities launched all funds as a result of LGAs on September 25, 2025, immediately into their UBA accounts, the claimants rushed to the Oyo State Excessive Court docket to safe interim injunctions,” the petition states.

The APC argued that the Oyo court docket lacked territorial and subject-matter jurisdiction because the funds, events, and disputes had been domiciled in Osun State.

“Justice Akintola granted sweeping orders behind our backs, even after affidavit proof confirmed our existence as elected chairmen whose rights can be severely affected,” the petition reads.

In Swimsuit No. I/1149/2025, the decide restrained UBA from releasing any native authorities funds, and in Swimsuit No. I/1167/2025, he additional ordered a Submit No Debit restriction on all LGA accounts in Osun State.

The APC described the orders as crippling, saying, “Native authorities administration in Osun State has completely collapsed. Obas, chiefs and employees are unpaid. Chairmen and councillors can’t entry salaries. Statutory duties can’t be carried out.

“It’s extremely disappointing {that a} decide will grant orders to have an effect on the curiosity of non-parties in a case the place it’s patently clear that he has no jurisdiction to entertain the subject material, which arose exterior his jurisdiction. We’re fortified in our opinion of bias in opposition to Justice Akintola on the idea of the extension of the lifetime of the interim orders as granted by the decide on the third of October 2025 in Swimsuit No. I/1149/2025 and the orders made in Swimsuit No. I/1167/2025,” the petitioners said.

They added that though the claimants admitted submitting a associated swimsuit on the Supreme Court docket, they intentionally excluded crucial events and proceeded in Oyo State “to obtain orders by stealth.”

Whereas stressing that the APC sought full probe of the counsel, the celebration urged the NJC to research the circumstances resulting in the interim orders in Swimsuit Nos. I/1149/2025 and I/1167/2025, look at Justice Akintola’s conduct concerning jurisdiction, equity, and impartiality, and take crucial steps to revive public confidence within the judiciary.

“It’s our prayer to the Noble Nationwide Judicial Council {that a} probe be performed into the circumstances resulting in the interim orders issued by Justice Akintola of the Excessive Court docket of Oyo State in each Swimsuit No. I/1149/2025 on twenty sixth of September and third of October, 2025, and Swimsuit No. I/1167/2025 on 2nd October 2025 respectively. It’s actions and practices of this nature which have eroded public confidence within the judiciary, and whereas we, as law-abiding residents of this nation, have absolute confidence within the majority of the members of the judiciary and consider within the establishment represented by the NJC, we’re insistent on the necessity for justice to be seen to be finished, in all circumstances, this one inclusive,” the petitioners’ reliefs sought.

In a sworn affidavit connected to the petition, Onibonokuta reaffirmed the allegations, insisting that the NJC’s involvement was urgently wanted.

“The intervention of the Nationwide Judicial Council is crucial to right the injustice finished to us,” he said.

The 2 controversial fits cited by the petitioners had been filed by the Osun State Lawyer-Basic and the Osun State Native Authorities Service Fee.

Within the swimsuit, Justice Akintola issued an interim order restraining the United Financial institution for Africa Plc from releasing or permitting entry to any native authorities statutory allocation belonging to all 30 LGAs and the Space Workplace in Osun State.

The order, granted on September 26, 2025, and later prolonged on October 3, 2025, successfully froze the move of federal allocations shortly after the funds had been paid into the councils’ UBA accounts by the Federal Authorities.

In the meantime, in Swimsuit No. I/1167/2025, filed days later, Justice Akintola issued an extra directive putting a Submit No Debit restriction on all native authorities financial institution accounts in Osun State.