Opposition Party Accuses Oyetola of Utilizing Tinubu Relationships to Prevent Local Government Funds in Osun State
In a dramatic turn of events, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused the Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, and the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, of disregarding the rule of law in Osun State.
The PDP alleges that these officials have been withholding statutorily guaranteed local government allocations since March 2025, favoring APC-aligned local leaders over those elected under the PDP. This action, the PDP claims, is a clear violation of the Supreme Court's July 11, 2024 judgment that affirmed the financial autonomy of Osun's local governments.
The PDP contends that the Attorney General, Lateef Fagbemi, has taken a partisan stance by demanding a refund of local government allocations, refusing to recognize the elected local government officials under the PDP, and selectively enforcing the court judgment only against Osun State. This, according to the PDP, amounts to disobeying or undermining the Supreme Court decision that should protect the financial autonomy of all local governments equally.
Gboyega Oyetola, the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy and a cousin to President Bola Tinubu, is also under fire for allegedly withholding local government allocations for the past five months, in violation of the court order. The PDP reports that Oyetola is insisting on paying Osun local government funds to court-sacked APC chairmen.
In response to these allegations, the PDP has taken legal action against Fagbemi and Oyetola before Western embassies and global rights groups. The party seeks interventions in terms of investigations, compilation, and dissemination of reports on democratic threats in Osun State and their implications for the state and national elections of 2026 and 2027.
The PDP also aims to force Gboyega Oyetola and Lateef Fagbemi to comply with the rule of law through visa bans and other punitive actions. The party believes that no individual should be allowed to breach the constitution and due process as Mr. Oyetola and the AGF are doing in Osun State.
Furthermore, the PDP is using the Osun 2026 gubernatorial elections as a pre-2027 test case, hoping that the diplomatic community and right groups will highlight risks and opportunities as the elections draw nearer. The party has vowed to continue its protests to various organizations, including Transparency International, International Crisis Group, Amnesty International, Western Embassies, and the European Union, in a bid to allow legitimately elected council leadership in Osun State to function.
The PDP finds this development worrisome and an open threat to democratic governance in Osun State. The party calls on the Western embassies and the global rights community to sanction the two federal officials for actions capable of truncating democracy in Osun State. The PDP accuses Oyetola of using his family relationship with President Bola Tinubu to illegally withhold Osun local governments' allocations.
The PDP's protests are centered around the actions of the Attorney-General, Lateef Fagbemi, and Gboyega Oyetola, who are accused of disobeying a Court of Appeal judgment on Osun Local Government elections. The party seeks the adoption of the Osun 2026 gubernatorial elections as a point of reference for investigating all sources of threats to democracy.
[1] Sources: PDP Official Statements, Supreme Court Judgment, and Local Government Allocation Records.
- The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has raised concerns about the alleged partsisan stance of the Attorney-General, Lateef Fagbemi, in his handling of local government allocations in Osun State.
- The PDP has also accused Gboyega Oyetola, the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, of withholding local government allocations in violation of a court order.
- The PDP believes that the actions of these two federal officials are a threat to the rule of law and democratic governance in Nigeria, particularly in Osun State.
- In response to these allegations, the PDP has taken legal action against Fagbemi and Oyetola, while also seeking interventions from international bodies like Western embassies and global rights groups.
- The PDP sees the Osun 2026 gubernatorial elections as a pre-2027 test case, using the diplomatic community and right groups to highlight risks and opportunities as the elections draw nearer.
- The PDP's protests and legal actions are driven by their goal to allow legitimately elected council leadership in Osun State to function, and to prevent any individual from breaching the constitution and due process.
