Osun LG Funds’ Hijack A Criminal Assault On Democracy — MCE Warns Of Possible Citizens’ Self-help

 

The Movement for Credible Elections (MCE) has expressed shock, outrage, and deep alarm over what it described as the latest twist in the Osun State Local Government (LG) crisis, labelling the development a brazen and criminal assault on democracy, the rule of law, and the rights of hardworking citizens.

In a press statement signed by its Media Coordinator, Comrade James Ezema, the group alleged that court-sacked All Progressives Congress (APC) local government chairmen in Osun State, in collusion with a former Governor of the state who is now a Minister, as well as the United Bank for Africa (UBA), had illegally hijacked funds released by the Federal Government for the state’s local governments. 

According to the Movement, the funds were diverted to unelected politicians and party cronies.

Speaking on behalf of the Movement, the head of its National Secretariat, Veteran Olawale Okunniyi, described the alleged act as an "audacious violation of Osun State law", noting that the law clearly prescribes career officials as signatories to local government accounts. 

He maintained that lawful procedures were deliberately ignored and trampled upon.

The Movement outlined what it described as the stark and damning consequences of the alleged development. It stated that no local government worker in Osun State had been paid for the past 12 months by what it termed "police-backed unlawful occupants of local government offices", while the salaries meant for the workers were allegedly stolen and misappropriated. It further alleged that funds meant for critical public services such as schools, health centres, and local infrastructure were being shared among court-sacked APC functionaries whose tenure, it said, lapsed in October of the previous year.

MCE also accused UBA of facilitating the illegal diversion of funds and claimed that the bank had placed its officials on the wrong side of the law. The group asserted that top executives of the bank had already been arraigned, a development it said exposed the institution’s complicity in the alleged corruption.

The Movement further claimed that the Osun State Government had been compelled to borrow funds to pay local government workers and sustain essential services, while alleging that the Police were providing protection for unelected and illegal occupants of local government secretariats.

According to the group, the crisis poses a dangerous precedent for Nigeria’s democracy, warning that unelected individuals now allegedly control public resources with impunity, thereby threatening constitutional governance at the grassroots level.

The Movement called for immediate and decisive intervention from President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and urged all lovers of democracy in Nigeria and across the world to intervene in the matter. 

Veteran Okunniyi stated that UBA and the former Governor had hijacked Osun local government funds and alleged that resources meant for local workers were being illegally shared by court-sacked chairmen. He described the situation not merely as mismanagement but as fraud and a deliberate assault on the foundations of democracy in Nigeria.

MCE warned that failure by the Presidency to urgently intervene could compel citizens across Osun State and Nigeria to mobilize and deploy every lawful means to reclaim their rights, demand accountability, and protect democracy.