The Osun State chapter of the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) has called for the immediate removal of the Attorney-General of the Federation, the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, and the Accountant General of the Federation, accusing them of conspiring to divert public funds to pay sacked Osun local government chairmen and councillors.
In a strongly worded statement issued on Friday by the party’s state chairman, John Olufemi Adesuyi, the ZLP described the plan as “a direct violation of the Nigerian Constitution, the Electoral Act 2022, and an affront to democracy itself.”
According to the ZLP, the Federal Government’s move to fund the sacked officials of the controversial October 15, 2022 Osun local government election — which was conducted with “Yes/No” ballot papers — is illegal.
“Funding sacked and illegal officials is an unconstitutional act, amounting to creating a parallel government structure outside the authority of the Constitution,” the statement said.
Citing provisions of the 1999 Constitution, Adesuyi argued that no law permits the Federal Government to directly pay local government officials, particularly those whose election had already been voided.
“Section 162(6) & (7) of the Constitution establishes the State Joint Local Government Account and prescribes how local government allocations are to be administered. No provision allows the Federal Government to bypass the states and directly pay illegal officials. Any such action is a constitutional breach and a diversion of public funds,” he stressed.
The party further noted that those pushing the payment cannot hide under immunity. “Public officers are not immune from accountability: Section 308(2) makes clear that immunity applies only to a sitting President, Vice-President, Governor, or Deputy Governor — not Ministers, Attorneys-General, CBN Governors, or Accountants-General. Those involved must therefore face removal, investigation, and prosecution.”
On the Electoral Act, the ZLP said the October 2022 exercise breached key provisions. “The ‘Yes/No’ ballot paper used in the October 2022 Osun LG election — with no party logos — was in flagrant violation of this law,” the statement noted, adding that “By law, the ‘Yes/No’ election of 15th October 2022 was unconstitutional, null, and void ab initio.”
The ZLP therefore issued three key demands: “Immediate suspension of any payment plans to the sacked Yes/No Chairmen and Councillors,” “Investigation, removal, and prosecution of the Attorney General, Minister of Finance, CBN Governor, and Accountant General for conspiring to divert public funds in violation of the Constitution and Electoral Act,” and “Judicial intervention by the Supreme Court to protect democracy and ensure public resources are not wasted on illegality.”
Describing the alleged plan as an abuse of office, Adesuyi declared: “The attempt to fund unconstitutional officials is a desperate plot to throw democracy into the mud. It is an act of nepotism, arrogance, and fiscal rascality by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, which has already illegally withheld Osun local government funds for over seven months.”
The ZLP vowed to resist the alleged illegality, insisting: “The Constitution is supreme. Any act inconsistent with it is null and void. The ZLP stands ready to defend the people’s mandate and protect grassroots governance from political recklessness.”
On Wednesday, the Osun State government wrote a letter to the Minister of Finance accusing him of planning to pay the local government chairmen under the All Progressives Congress.
The Osun State government had accused the Nigerian government of foul play for withholding its local government allocations.
In a letter signed by Musibau Adetunbi, counsel for the state, and addressed to the Minister of Finance, Edun, the state government said, “It is inconceivable that you would ask His Excellency, the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, to authorise the release of funds, which are under legal dispute, to these court-sacked chairmen and councilors,” the letter read.
“Instead of seeking an approval to do what is wrong, it is our counsel that you use your office to properly and faithfully apprise Mr President of the true position of the law.”
According to the counsel, proceeding with the disputed payment would amount to “a grievous assault on the rule of law” and urged Edun to withdraw any letter already sent to the president.
“It is on record that, as of today, the Federation is in possession of tens of billions of naira belonging to the 30 local government councils of Osun State.
“These billions, we repeat, are for the wellbeing of the people, not money that politicians can whimsically appropriate to settle political associates and followers,” the letter added.
The legal team appealed to the finance minister to “allow the court to discharge its duties unhindered” while the matter remains pending at the Supreme Court.