The Supreme Court’s decision to dismiss a case filed by the Osun State Attorney General, Oluwole Jimi-Bada, over withheld local government funds has sparked sharply contrasting reactions across the state.
The case, which sought to force the Federal Government to release the allocations to Osun’s local councils, was struck out by a seven-man panel of the apex court. Six of the justices ruled that the suit lacked merit and should not have been filed.
Following the ruling, the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) in Osun — made up of APC-elected council chairmen — praised the judgment. In a statement by its chairman, Abiodun Idowu, the group described the verdict as a win for democracy and a confirmation that the judiciary still protects the rights of ordinary citizens.
ALGON said the ruling ends the long-running legal battle over who controls local councils in the state. The association also accused Governor Ademola Adeleke’s administration of mismanaging the councils, pledging to restore development and stability at the grassroots.
Meanwhile, the Osun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) issued a completely opposite interpretation of the Supreme Court’s decision. In a statement signed by its chairman, Sunday Bisi, the party argued that the ruling exposed what it described as unconstitutional directives earlier issued by the Attorney General to the Central Bank and the Ministry of Finance. According to the PDP, those directives attempted to channel local government funds to what it called “illegal entities.”
The PDP insisted that the judgment reinforces the rule of law and validates its long-standing claims about the irregularities in the management of local government affairs under the APC’s influence in the state.
Both parties, despite their conflicting views, praised the judiciary but used the ruling to support their opposing political narratives.
