The Concerned Muslim Stakeholders and League of Alfas, Osun State, have raised serious concerns over controversies surrounding local government allocations in the state.
The group made its position known during a press conference held on Tuesday at the NUJ Press Centre in Osogbo, the state capital.
The Muslim leaders said they were compelled to speak out due to what they described as misleading narratives being pushed by some pressure groups, religious leaders, and royal fathers.
According to the group, the local government crisis in Osun State started after the October 2022 council elections conducted under the previous APC government were nullified in court.
The Stakeholders recalled that the APC later secured victory at the Court of Appeal in February 2025, leading to the return of its elected chairmen and councillors.
They noted that violence trailed the resumption of the APC officials, resulting in the tragic killing of a council chairman in Irewole Local Government.
The group accused the PDP-led state government of disregarding the Appeal Court judgment by insisting on fresh council elections in February 2025.
They pointed out that federal authorities, including the Attorney-General of the Federation and the police, had advised against conducting another election since the tenure of APC chairmen had not expired.
The Concerned Muslim Stakeholders also faulted claims by some media platforms that federal allocations were withheld, describing such reports as propaganda.
They clarified that no court in Nigeria had validated the purported February 22, 2025, council election allegedly conducted by the state government.
They described as unfortunate the role of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees, accusing its leaders of meddling in political matters for selfish interests.
The Muslim Stakeholders further urged royal fathers and religious leaders in the state to be more thorough before making public statements on sensitive issues.
They called on Governor Ademola Adeleke to distance his administration from what they termed deceitful propaganda, urging all stakeholders to respect the rule of law in resolving the local government crisis.
Parts of the statement reads, “From the foregoing, it can be said that the Court of Appeal is insensitive to safety of the people and not too careful of peace in the state because its role over 13th June, 2025 Ruling in which it said an appeal it allowed on 10th February, 2025 was at the same time dismissed on the same date so elections not put before the Court of Appeal becoming purportedly recognized is unfair and capable of throwing a whole state into violence and crises therefore such should be investigated and sanctioned by the appropriate authority.
“2. The Royal Fathers should always endeavour to do a thorough finding on issues that concern the state so as to be able to make a balanced position and thereby avoid public embarrassment.
“3. Release made on 27th August, 2025 by the IMAMS under the name of the League of Imams and Alfas, Osun State Chapter led by Alhaji Imam Musa Animasahun to the effect that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu should immediately order release of the State’s withheld local government allocations based on June Ruling of the Court of Appeal which affirmed the legitimacy of the elected PDP Chairmen and councillors in Osun State is not only false, misleading, unfair, illegal, unlawful but also a product of failure to ground an investigation into issue before taking a position and contrary to the teachings of the Islam.
“4. It is highly surprising that the League of Imams and Alfas who represented themselves to the public as speaking for the Muslim Ummah could jettison the Islamic brotherhood by turning themselves into a religious mouthpiece of the Governor Ademola Adeleke led-Peoples Democratic Party at the detriment of interests of other Muslims in various political parties. How could one reasonably comprehend the call of the League of Imams and Alfas directing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR to release the Local Government Allocations to the PDP-led Governor Ademola administration in Osun State against all the laws of the land as pronounced by the Supreme Court of Nigeria in July, 2024. Obviously, the League of Imams and Alfas must not claim to be oblivious of illegality involved in such a calling because the Supreme Court in AGF v. AG Abia has granted financial autonomy to the Local Governments in Nigeria in July 2024. The Alfas should not be seen forming part of the efforts of the Governor Ademola Adeleke’ desperation to still illegally collect the allocations.
“5. Governor Ademola Adeleke should dissociate itself from all the misleading information being peddled around over the local government allocations contrary to the real facts of the issues or be ready to be taken as governing the state with deceits, dishonesties, falsities, misleading and cheap propaganda.
“6. The market men, women, artisans, workers, voters, professionals and the electorate in Osun State should be commended for having refused to be moved by all the lies. Little wonders, unlike the “merchandise”, there is no a single protest from these good people of Osun State ever held since the beginning of the cheap propaganda on the local government unless one is hurriedly planned and sponsored again from today by the PDP-led government in Osun State as usual.
“7. The Federal Government under the headship of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR deserves a good commendation having chosen to tow the path of peace, law and order and jettisoned bullies of the PDP and the state government parroted by the uninformed association, lobbyists, clerics and others over the allocations which were never at any point withheld.
“8. The State Government must ensure, no matter how long it takes, that the workers involved in the miserable roles being played by the NULGE are investigated and recorded for future generation to know how innocent good people of Osun State were unjustly subjected to hardship for evil and selfish interest of a few members of the Union.
“9. The Osun State judiciary too has a duty to ensure that law and order always reign and to also ensure that image of the judiciary is protected at all times.
“10.In all circumstances, parties must always ensure that law and order prevail and must also ensure that disputes are taken to the court of law for adjudication rather than propaganda capable of fueling crises in the state. We should all be law-abiding at all times.”
