ADC Slams Osun LG Funds Freeze, Calls It Assault On Democracy

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has condemned the freezing of statutory allocations to local governments in Osun State, describing the action as “political terrorism” and an assault on democracy, while accusing the Federal Government of using state institutions to undermine the state ahead of the forthcoming governorship election.

In a statement issued on Wednesday by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the opposition party alleged that the withholding of local government funds was part of a broader strategy to intimidate the Osun State government and influence the outcome of the governorship poll.

The ADC claimed that the action reflected what it described as President Bola Tinubu’s “win-at-all-cost” approach to politics, warning that such a mentality posed a threat to Nigeria’s democracy and national stability.

According to the party, withholding the allocations would adversely affect the payment of workers’ salaries, the operation of primary healthcare centres, education, rural infrastructure and other essential public services.

“The freezing of the statutory allocations due to the local governments of Osun State is not an administrative decision or a legal dispute. It is political terrorism by the Bola Tinubu-led APC government carried out with the instruments of the Nigerian state in order to undermine the state government ahead of the coming governorship election,” the statement read.

The ADC further alleged that the withholding of funds was only one aspect of what it described as a systematic campaign against the Osun State government. It accused unelected APC loyalists of continuing to occupy local government councils in the state in disregard of democratic principles and the rule of law.

The party also alleged that opposition politicians, including members of the Accord Party, had been subjected to arbitrary arrests for political reasons. It further accused security agencies of failing to address alleged acts of violence by political thugs in the state.

According to the statement, some armed groups allegedly linked to the All Progressives Congress (APC) had intimidated political opponents, while elements within the Nigeria Police were accused of providing protection to such groups. The ADC, however, did not provide evidence to substantiate the allegations.

The opposition party argued that the developments pointed to what it described as a deliberate effort by federal authorities to undermine constitutional governance and democratic institutions in Osun State.
It maintained that political competition should not be treated as warfare, stressing that opposition-controlled states should not be subjected to federal intimidation.

“Political opponents are not enemy combatants. Opposition-controlled states are not occupied territories. Public institutions do not belong to whichever party temporarily controls the federal government,” the statement said.

The ADC called for the immediate restoration of statutory allocations due to Osun State’s local governments, an end to what it described as federal intimidation of the state, and the restoration of constitutional order.

“The people of Osun deserve the democratic right to freely choose who governs them. Right now, they have been placed under a siege. This rascality has to stop,” the party added.