Supreme Court to Rule on Osun LG Funds – Salam

The protracted dispute over local government funds in Osun State may soon reach a legal resolution, according to Bamidele Salam, the lawmaker representing Ede North/Ede South/Ejigbo/Egbedore Federal Constituency.

Salam expressed confidence that the Supreme Court would rule in favour of Governor Ademola Adeleke, likening the case to the landmark legal battle between Lagos State and the federal government during Bola Tinubu’s tenure as governor.

“The state government is on solid legal ground. We have precedents, including the Lagos State vs. Federal Government case, which the Supreme Court ruled decisively. I don’t see the apex court reversing that position now,” Salam told TVC Hallowed Chamber programme on Saturday.

He described the withholding of local government funds by some federal actors as “clearly illegal” and said it undermines the efforts of the state government to deliver services to the people.

“There is absolutely no basis for this. Even the Court of Appeal recently recognized a set of local government chairmen and ordered their immediate recognition. Yet, some players are trying to muscle the state government. They will fail because we are on the right side of the law,” Salam said.

Despite the ongoing impasse, Salam stressed that Governor Adeleke remains focused on governance.

“The governor continues to serve the people diligently. He believes these actions are driven by some individuals behind the presidency, and he appeals to the president to intervene to protect the legacy of justice and democracy he has built over the decades,” Salam added.

The case marks a critical test of state-federal relations over local government autonomy, with stakeholders and residents closely watching developments.