By John Dike, Osogbo
The South West Zonal Caucus of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has condemned the continued withholding of Osun State’s local government statutory allocation from, an action it said undermines democracy and denies citizens essential services at the grassroots.
Also, it described the action as unconstitutional and politically motivated, akin to what the former Olusegun Obasanjo presidency did to Lagos State when Tinubu was the governor, which the latter fought gallantly up to the Supreme Court, and floored Obasanjo.
The PDP called on the Federal Government to immediately release the withheld local government allocation for Osun State,
It made demand at a meeting of the caucus held at the Olusoji Adagunodo South West PDP Zonal Secretariat in Ibadan, Oyo State. The meeting was attended by top PDP leaders from across the South West.
The communiqué issued at the end of the meeting, was signed by the South West PDP Zonal Publicity Secretary, Chief Sanya Atofarati,
It read partly, “The caucus demands that the Federal Government immediately release the withheld Osun State Local Government allocation.
“The continued withholding is unconstitutional, unwarranted, and a violation of the rights and well-being of the people of Osun State”.
The Federal Government has been withholding the allocation due to an unresolved political dispute between officials of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the PDP over control of Osun local councils.
The conflict has led to the shutdown of council secretariats since February 2025, thereby crippling local governance and disrupting development efforts across the state.
The PDP caucus accused the Federal Government of taking sides in the political impasse, warning that such action threatens the foundation of Nigeria’s federal system and the autonomy of state and local governments.
It said, “No government should play politics with the welfare of the people.
“Funds constitutionally allocated to local governments must not be withheld under any guise. The people of Osun State should not suffer for political disagreements”.
The PDP expressed its full support for the government of Governor Ademola Adeleke and urged federal institutions, particularly the Ministry of Finance and the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), to act within the law and release the funds without further delay.
It also called on civil society organisations, the media, and other stakeholders to hold the Federal Government accountable and ensure that democratic principles are not subverted for partisan interests.
