Osun State Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Oluomo Kolapo Alimi, has slammed the Osun All Progressives Congress over its flagrant disobedience to a subsisting court judgment that declared vacancies in all Local Governments in the state.
Fielding questions from journalists during a media chat with Osun Online Media Publishers on Wednesday, Kolapo Alimi insisted that the Court of Appeal verdict in the case of the Action Peoples Party, which sacked the APC chairmen, remains the only existing judgment as of today.
He warned that any attempt by the sacked chairmen to collude with the Central Bank of Nigeria or any government agencies to withdraw local government funds would lead them to prison.
According to him, “There is nobody that is a champion for life. If you’re in office today, and anybody thinks that because they have the federal government’s backing, they can allow someone to access the Local Government account and spend a kobo, they will go to prison later. This is not a banana republic; we have the rule of law and democracy.
“Don’t let anybody deceive and bamboozle you. No CBN governor will allow ‘yes or no’ chairmen to open private accounts to receive money; they are just blabbing. The tenure they are fighting for, which they are killing people over, will end in October. That tenure started in 2022.
“The local government election was conducted in the state on February 22, 2025, and all political parties participated. However, the APC withdrew 11 hours before election, after they have undergone screening and in the eye of the law they fully participated in the election. The APC’s nominated candidates had undergone screening, put up posters, and campaigned. The party’s subsequent actions are merely an afterthought.
“As it is today, there are no two sets of chairmen in Osun; there is only one lawful and legally recognized chairman based on the election, not even the PDP chairmen they are referring to. After the election, they become the chairmen; that’s the rule.”
While speaking on the alleged misappropriation of N3.7 billion under his watch as Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Alimi refuted the allegations, saying they are an attempt to distract the people from the ongoing investigation of the past administration.
He said, “If the ALGON Chairman spent ALGON money, how is that my concern? They will hear from my lawyer very soon to explain how money meant for ALGON becomes my problem.
“First and foremost, the allegations against Adeleke sent to the EFCC are true. This is not tit-for-tat. If they believe there is a case against me, they should file a petition before the EFCC instead of making noise in the media.
“The money moved from the Local Government account to security was transferred from the Local Government account to the ALGON account, then to Ibikem Construction and Akeem Ibitoye, who owns the account and is the only signatory to it.”
The commissioner reiterated that the money belonged to the local governments, and the LG authority made use of their funds, affirming that he wasn’t a signatory to any government accounts nor had control over ALGON spending.
Alimi warned that if former Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Prince Adebayo Adeleke, and Mr. Jamiu Olawumi failed to retract their statements and apologize publicly within the stipulated time, he would have no choice but to seek legal redress over the matter.
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