Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has denied claims that his administration is pressuring local government officials to change signatories on council accounts amid the ongoing political conflict between the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC).
Adewale Adebayo, Chairman of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) in Osun, alleged that the state government had been coercing 30 Finance Directors and Heads of Local Administration (HLAs) to change signatories to council accounts to favor newly elected officials.
According to Adebayo, the officials were allegedly taken to undisclosed locations and forced to comply.
However, Osun’s Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, swiftly rejected these accusations, calling them “mere speculation.” He emphasized, “We have never changed any local government account signatories. They have made themselves look foolish in the eyes of the public.”
This issue comes amidst the larger political battle for control over Osun’s local governments. Meanwhile, the APC has urged local government workers to return to their posts, despite a refusal from the state’s labor union, which demands assurances of worker safety.
The ongoing conflict has drawn calls for judicial intervention, with civil society groups urging all parties to return to court to resolve the issue peacefully.
“We must respect the court’s decision and avoid any inflammatory remarks,” said Prof. Wasiu Oyedokun-Alli, Executive Director of the Osun Masterminds.