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Osun PDP, APC clash as FG releases LG allocations

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The Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, on Sunday, confirmed that the Federal Government had released the withheld six-month allocations for the state’s local government areas.

The APC, however, denied that the funds were paid into the private accounts of council chairmen elected on the platform of the APC in October 2022.

It said the funds were paid “into the local government councils’ accounts.”

However, the ruling PDP, which said it was not aware of the payment, demanded that the APC disclose the details of the accounts the funds were paid into.

The PDP wondered how the Federal Government would release the funds into bank accounts unknown to the state’s accountant general, auditor-general for local governments and the ministry of local governments.

The clash between the two parties comes after the National Union of Local Government Employees accused the Federal Government of illegally releasing the withheld six-month allocation to the APC.

Speaking on behalf of the union on Sunday, NULGE Chairman, Dr Nathaniel Ogungbangbe,  said the union had confirmed that the Federal Government paid the March–August 2025 allocations into accounts illegally opened by the APC chairmen and councillors despite pending court cases.

He specifically accused the Minister of Finance, Wale Edun; the Accountant-General of the Federation, Babatunde Ogunjimi; and the Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), of abusing their offices by facilitating the release.

“Today, we have it on good authority that these three principal officers of the Federal Government have released the Osun State Local Government Councils’ allocations for the month of March 2025 to August 2025 to the illegal bank accounts opened by court-sacked APC chairmen and councillors,” Ogungbangbe said.

“We find this development very scary and alarming.

Paying Local Government allocations into privately opened and illegal bank accounts of politicians is unbelievable, bizarre and unprecedented in the history of public administration in Nigeria.”

Ogungbangbe recalled that a Federal High Court had on May 15, 2025, ordered parties to maintain the status quo, an order he said was acknowledged by the Central Bank of Nigeria, which initially withheld payment.

“The Attorney-General cannot assume the role of the Supreme Court by setting aside the judgment of the Court of Appeal, which affirmed the sacking of the APC politicians by the Federal High Court. The Attorney-General is not above the law,” he declared.

He also accused the APC of trying to destabilise the state.

“Their ultimate goal is to cause anarchy and use it to call on the President to declare a State of Emergency in the state so that they could loot our resources,” he alleged, adding that council workers would not return to duty posts until the issue was resolved.

But the Osun APC dismissed the allegations, describing them as lies designed to favour the ruling Peoples Democratic Party.

In a statement signed by its spokesperson, Kola Olabisi, the APC said: “It is not true that the said federal allocations are paid into the account of any of our local government council chairmen or any of the APC members or chieftain but into the local government councils’ accounts.”

Olabisi further argued that NULGE had no authority to interpret court rulings.

“We want to, as a party which believes in the rule of law, make it abundantly clear that it is not the duty of the NULGE to interpret any court judgment. The Court of Appeal judgement of the 10th of February, 2025, which reinstated the APC local government council chairmen and their councillors, is still in force as there is no record anywhere that it was appealed against.”

He accused the NULGE leadership of pursuing selfish interests and acting as an appendage of Governor Ademola Adeleke.

“The NULGE needs not weave up a series of lies in respect of the payment of the federal allocations… The sing-song of the NULGE before now was that some agencies of the Federal Government were withholding the accumulated federal allocations. Now that the logjam has been laid to rest, what would be their next excuse?” he asked.

The party also urged security agencies to remain on alert.

“We plead with the NULGE to shun brigandage, as Osun, being a subset of the country, is being governed by the rule of law,” the statement read.

Reacting to the revelation and the admission by the APC, Osun PDP called on the APC to disclose the accounts into which the allocations were paid and the signatories of the accounts.

In a statement on Sunday by its Chairman,  Sunday Bisi, the PDP described the release of funds to the APC as a crime against the people of Osun State.

The PDP said rather than attacking NULGE, the APC should “come clean before the people of Osun State by publicly disclosing the exact bank accounts into which the local government allocations were paid and the signatories to those accounts. The APC should also disclose the amount in each of the accounts.”

The PDP said, “We demand these details because all the statutory officers of all the 30 local governments who should be aware of the payment are not aware of it. These officers manage all the accounts of the local governments. They have not seen a dime in any of their local government accounts. Also, none of the state accountant general, the auditor-general for local governments and the ministry of local governments is aware of the payments or where they were paid into.

“The Osun PDP wishes to remind the APC that hurling insults at labour unions cannot change the reality that the people of Osun are demanding answers. The questions are simple: into which accounts were the allocations paid, and who are the signatories?”

The PDP said the APC must urgently provide answers, “or we will conclude that the APC and its leaders have staged the greatest heist in the history of Nigeria by diverting over six months of allocations of all local governments in Osun State.”

“The PDP assures the people of Osun State that under Governor Ademola Adeleke, transparency and accountability will continue to be the guiding principles in the management of public funds. No amount of intimidation or blackmail by the APC will derail this resolve,” Bisi added.

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Politics

Otti denies defecting to APC, affirms loyalty to LP

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Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, has refuted claims circulating on social media that he has left the Labour Party for the All Progressives Congress.

The clarification was contained in a statement issued by the state’s Commissioner for Information, Okey Kanu, on Monday.

Kanu dismissed the report as false, adding that it is the handiwork of political opponents unsettled by Otti’s growing popularity and record of performance.

He stressed that the governor remains a steadfast member of the Labour Party, describing the report as a “desperate attempt to distract Abians and create unnecessary confusion.”

He stated, “Governor Alex Otti remains a committed and proud member of the Labour Party, the platform under which the good people of Abia overwhelmingly elected him to serve. His focus remains unshaken, to rebuild Abia, restore accountability, and deliver the dividends of democracy to every citizen of the state.”

The commissioner recalled that during the October edition of ‘Governor Alex Otti Speaks to Abians’, the governor had reiterated his disinterest in political realignments or defections, stressing that his priority was governance, not politics.

“It is important to remind the public that only last week, during the October edition of ‘Governor Alex Otti Speaks to Abians,’ the Governor made it unequivocally clear that his interest is not in political permutations or defections, but in service to humanity and the transformation of Abia State. He reaffirmed that leadership, to him, is about impact, not political convenience,” he added.

Kanu highlighted that the Otti administration has maintained a clear policy direction built on transparency, fiscal responsibility, infrastructural development, economic expansion, youth empowerment, and renewed trust in government.

“These are values synonymous with the Labour Party’s ideals, values that the Governor will never compromise for any political expediency,” the statement added.

The commissioner urged residents to disregard the fake report, describing it as another round of cheap propaganda aimed at diverting attention from the progress being made across the state.

“We wish to assure Abians that Governor Alex Otti remains resolute in his mission to continue to build a new Abia where truth, justice, and equity prevail under the banner of the Labour Party,” he stated.

Recall that Otti had in May emphasised that he does not need to join the APC to be close to President Bola Tinubu.

He noted that not everyone needs to join the ruling party.

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Kaduna ADC expels deputy chairman, eight others over misconduct

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The Kaduna State chapter of the African Democratic Congress has plunged into crisis following the expulsion of its Deputy Chairman, Ahmed Mustapha, and eight other top officials over alleged gross misconduct, insubordination, and attempts to usurp leadership positions within the party.

The sweeping decision, described by insiders as “a necessary purge to restore discipline,” was part of the resolutions reached by the State Executive Committee during an emergency meeting held in Kaduna on Wednesday.

Those affected by the expulsion include the State Publicity Secretary, Idris Musa; State Vice Chairman (Zone 1), Sulaiman Abdullahi; State Treasurer, Gambo Sani; State Financial Secretary, Magaji Maiwada; and State Legal Adviser, Danlami Dabai Musa. Others are the State Coordinator of Persons with Disabilities, Saura Muhammed; State Deputy Youth Leader, Ibrahim Muhammed; and one Mansur Gaga.

The embattled officials were accused of engaging in what the party described as “activities capable of undermining the unity, image, and lawful operation” of the ADC in Kaduna and the North-West zone.

According to the SEC’s resolution, the members allegedly held secret meetings to plot leadership changes, forged official documents, and extorted money from party members in violation of the ADC’s constitution.

Speaking at a press conference after the meeting, the Kaduna State ADC Chairman, Elder Patrick Ambut, said the party could no longer tolerate actions that threaten its internal cohesion.

He declared that the leadership in Kaduna remained “committed to discipline, transparency, and the rule of law,” adding that the expulsions followed due process as provided in the ADC constitution.

“As law-abiding members of the ADC, we are committed to upholding the party’s constitution and safeguarding its integrity. No individual, no matter his position, is above the law of the party,” Ambut said.

The chairman accused the Deputy Chairman, Mustapha, of abuse of office, impersonation, and acts capable of causing disharmony not only in Kaduna State but also across the North-West zone.

“These actions constitute a gross violation of the ADC constitution and are contrary to established party procedures,” Ambut said.

“The Deputy Chairman acted without due process, as he lacks the constitutional authority to convene any meeting or issue such directives on behalf of the party.”

Meanwhile, the party announced the appointment of the Deputy State Publicity Secretary, Alex Tagwai, as Acting Publicity Secretary pending further adjustments within the state executive.

Ambut said the decision was endorsed unanimously by the SEC, local government chairmen, and other stakeholders during the meeting.

“Mr. Tagwai will immediately assume responsibilities to ensure the smooth functioning of the publicity unit and prevent any communication gaps,” Ambut said.

He also urged members to remain calm and loyal to the constituted leadership, warning that further acts of indiscipline would not be tolerated.

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My re-election bid, a divine project -Soludo

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The Anambra State Governor,  Chukwuma Soludo, has described his second-term reelection bid as “a divine project and a mass movement” which ignites a sense of collective purpose and commitment to continued development in the state.

Soludo stated this in his address during a campaign rally in Onitsha South Local Government Area of the state, where he and his Deputy, Dr Onyekachukwu Ibezim, were received by a large crowd of supporters on Tuesday.

The governor said the gathering, filled with residents eager to show their backing, portrayed the growing momentum of his campaign.

He said, “My candidacy is a divine project and a mass movement which resonated deeply with the people and ignited a sense of collective purpose and commitment to continued development in the state.

“I express my heartfelt thanks to the community for their unwavering support. This is a campaign like no other in our history. I am humbled and deeply thankful, and I appreciate you.”

The governor outlined the progress his administration has made in all sectors of the state economy, especially in Onitsha South LGA, highlighting the establishment of a specialist general hospital in Fegge, the exceptional improvements made to public schools, among others.

He promised that many more advancements would follow if given the opportunity for a second term.

Several people also took the stage to voice their support, highlighting the achievements made under the Soludo-led administration.

Among them was the President General of Fegge, Onitsha, Okwudili Nwankwo, who praised the governor’s impact, adding, “Under Governor Soludo, we have seen remarkable changes, particularly with initiatives like the ‘One Youth, Two Skills’ programme. This has empowered many of our youth and provided them with valuable skills for a brighter future.”

Another resident, Chibuike Ugo, echoed this sentiment, stating, “Free education, free antenatal care and delivery services have made a significant difference in our community. These programs are not just policies; they are lifelines for our families.”

Another one, Franklin Onyeke added, “As we pray for Governor Soludo’s victory on November 8, 2025, we remain steadfast in our belief that he will continue to lead Anambra towards greatness.”

A cheque donation of N20 million was also made to support the governor’s campaign.

Soludo, the candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, is contesting the governorship election alongside 16 other candidates from other political parties on November 8, 2025.

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