Supreme Court reserves judgment in Osun LG funds case

The Supreme Court has reserved judgment in a suit filed by the Osun State government seeking to stop the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) from releasing withheld local government funds to All Progressives Congress (APC) chairmen.

A seven-man panel led by Justice Uwani Aba’aji took arguments from Musbau Adetumbi, SAN, for the Osun government, and Chief Akin Olujimi, SAN, for the AGF. Aba’aji said the judgment date would be communicated later.

The Osun government argued that the AGF erred in recognising APC chairmen whose election had been nullified by the Federal High Court and upheld by the Court of Appeal. It sought immediate release of statutory allocations to councils with “democratically elected chairmen.”

Adetumbi urged the court to grant reliefs, but Olujimi objected, saying the plaintiff lacked legal standing, and the matter was between political parties. He also argued that the Supreme Court lacked jurisdiction.

Olujimi further contended that the disputed chairmen’s tenure remains valid until October 22, and accused the Osun government of abuse of court process by filing multiple cases on the same subject.

He asked the court to dismiss the suit in its entirety.