Politics
LG Autonomy: AGF Asks S’Court To Order Seven Months Allocations Refund For Osun LGAs
The AGF made this request in response to a suit marked SC/CV/379/2025 filed before the apex court by the Osun State government through its Attorney-General.
Osun State had sued the AGF as the sole defendant, alleging that the federal government failed to release the statutory allocation due to its 30 local government councils for March, 2025.
The state government claimed that, upon enquiry, the Finance Minister, Mr Wale Edun, said he was acting under the AGF’s directive.
However, Mr Fagbemi, represented by his counsel, Mr Akin Olujimi, denied the claim.
In a counter-affidavit deposed by Mr Taye Oloyede, Special Assistant to the president, the AGF insisted that neither he nor the Minister of Finance approved the withholding of Osun LG funds.
Mr Oloyede averred that on May 22, 2025, in his presence, the Minister of Finance denied ever receiving such instructions.
According to the affidavit, Osun State has failed to provide evidence that the LG funds were deliberately withheld.
The deponents stated that direct payment of allocations to LGAs requires only that they submit account details to the Ministry of Finance.
He claimed that Osun State failed to show that its LGAs had submitted their account details to the finance ministry.
Mr Oloyede further argued that the plaintiff failed to show that it had the legal authority or consent of the LGAs to initiate the lawsuit.
In addition, the affidavit alleged that the state government intends to use the LGA allocations to fund state-level health and education initiatives in contravention of a Supreme Court judgment prohibiting states from managing LGA finances.
He also pointed out that an earlier ruling by a federal high court ruling in favour of the Osun state governor had been overturned by the Court of Appeal.
He said despite the July 11 judgement of the Supreme Court prohibiting states from handling LGA funds, Osun State continued to receive and spend LG allocations from July, 2024 to February 2025, describing the act as an “egregious contempt”.
“The only way to vindicate the authority of this court is to order the plaintiff to pay back all LG funds collected between July 2024 and February 2025.
“These should be remitted to the Minister of Finance for onward transfer to the respective local governments”, the AGF stated.
Mr Fagbemi, in a preliminary objection to the suit, said: “The plaintiff is not entitled to be heard due to contempt”.
“The plaintiff has no right of appeal against the Supreme Court’s decision. The case does not present a genuine dispute to trigger the court’s original jurisdiction under Section 232(1) of the Constitution,” the AGF stated.
“The plaintiff has no locus standi to sue on behalf of local governments. Only LGs—not state governments—can seek redress for unpaid allocations.
“If any LG has been wrongly deprived of its funds, it is the council itself—not the state government—that has the right to sue.”
Although it was gathered that Osun State has applied for withdrawal of the suit, the Supreme Court will hear the formal application in September.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has extended the deadline for political parties to submit the list of candidates for the 2027 governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections from Saturday, August 8, to Tuesday, August 11, 2026.
The commission announced the extension in a statement issued on Saturday and signed by the National Commissioner and Chairman of its Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna.
According to INEC, the decision followed appeals by political parties for additional time to complete the submission process through the dedicated online portal.
“The submission window, which according to the revised Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the General Election was originally scheduled to close on Saturday, 8th August, 2026, has been extended to Tuesday, 11th August, 2026,” the commission said.
In a a related development, INEC announced the suspension of PVC collection in Osun State ahead of the August 15 governorship election.
The commission said voters who applied for replacement of lost, damaged or defaced Permanent Voter Cards would have until midnight on Sunday, August 9, to print downloadable copies of their cards.
The electoral body explained that the deadline was necessary to enable it compile data on downloaded PVCs and produce final statistics on the total number of cards collected ahead of the election.
INEC said PVC collection in Osun commenced at the Registration Area level from July 22 to 28, 2026, but was extended to July 31 following complaints about large crowds and difficulties experienced by voters at collection centres.
The exercise subsequently moved to the local government level and ran from August 1 to 7.
The commission also disclosed that replacement downloadable PVCs had been made available to voters in Odo-Otin and Ife Central Local Government Areas following the theft of cards during attacks on the two collection centres.
It stressed that the stolen cards could not be used to vote.
INEC reassured Osun residents of its preparedness for the August 15 governorship election.
“The commission reiterates that the stolen cards cannot be used to vote.
“INEC reassures the people of Osun State of its readiness to conduct a free, fair, credible and inclusive governorship election on 15th August, 2026,” the statement said.
The commission said the deadline, initially set for Saturday, 8 August, has been extended to Tuesday, 11 August 2026, following appeals from political parties for more time.
INEC also announced that the window for voters who applied to replace lost, damaged or defaced PVCs to download their replacement cards will close at midnight on Sunday, 9 August.
The move is to enable the commission compile final PVC collection figures ahead of the 15 August Osun governorship election.
INEC said replacement downloadable PVCs have also been provided to affected voters in Odo-Otin and Ife Central Local Government Areas after hoodlums carted away cards from two collection centres, stressing that the stolen cards cannot be used to vote.
The commission reaffirmed its readiness to conduct a free, fair, credible and inclusive election in Osun State.
Gov. Kefas made the remarks over the weekend at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Jalingo, during the flag-off of the second phase of the Renewed Hope Medical Outreach in Taraba State, organised as part of activities marking Prof. Yilwatda’s 58th birthday.
The governor commended Prof. Yilwatda for choosing to mark his birthday by providing medical care to people in need.
“What Professor Nentawe did is a powerful demonstration of what leadership should be,” Gov. Kefas said.
He assured that his administration would continue to support initiatives that complement government efforts to improve healthcare delivery and the wellbeing of residents.
Speaking at the event, Prof. Yilwatda called on Nigerian leaders to embrace the culture of giving and use their positions to touch the lives of the less privileged.
He said his decision to celebrate his 58th birthday in Taraba State was deliberate and informed by the needs of underserved communities, particularly people who face difficulties accessing healthcare because of distance and financial constraints.
According to him, the intervention followed a needs assessment and was extended across the three senatorial districts of the state.
He said the exercise commenced on August 3 at Takum General Hospital and covered the Federal University Teaching Hospital, Wukari; First Referral Hospital, Sunkani, Ardo-Kola Local Government Area; General Hospital, Bali; General Hospital, Gembu; and FMC Jalingo.
Prof. Yilwatda said the intervention provided medical services to thousands of beneficiaries, including people who required surgical procedures.
He said sustainable national development could only be achieved when strong institutions placed Nigerians at the centre of development.
“Leadership is about service,” he said, urging political and public leaders to make giving back to society an important part of their responsibilities.
He reaffirmed his commitment to serving Nigeria and its people, saying his personal vision was to make every day of his life useful to humanity.
“Every day that I live, the vision is: let it be useful to humanity,” he said.
The Taraba State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Bordiya Buma, commended the initiative, saying it was consistent with the Renewed Hope agenda and efforts to strengthen healthcare delivery in the state.
Dr Buma said the second phase followed the successful completion of the first phase, which was conducted simultaneously in six local government areas, with two LGAs selected from each of the three senatorial districts.
According to him, more than 10,000 patients were attended to during the first phase, including people with medical and surgical conditions.
He disclosed that 327 general surgeries, 71 eye surgeries and 575 dental procedures were carried out during the exercise.
The commissioner expressed appreciation to President Bola Tinubu for the Renewed Hope Medical Outreach and thanked Prof. Yilwatda for supporting the initiative and choosing Taraba State as a beneficiary.
The Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, also commended Prof. Yilwatda for choosing Taraba State to mark his 58th birthday through a medical outreach.
Prof. Pate said making healthcare the centrepiece of the birthday celebration was significant because health affects everyone.
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