Muslim stakeholders accuse Adeleke of propaganda on Osun LG funds
By Deborah Oladejo, Osogbo –
The Concerned Muslim Stakeholders and League of Alfas in Osun State have faulted the state chapter of the League of Imams and Alfas over its recent call on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to release alleged withheld local government allocations, describing the position as false and misleading.
At a press conference in Osogbo on Tuesday, the group’s President, Khozeem AbdurRaham, said the August 27 statement by the Imams amounted to acting as a religious mouthpiece of Governor Ademola Adeleke’s Peoples Democratic Party-led administration. He noted that the position was contrary to the July 2024 Supreme Court judgment granting financial autonomy to local governments.
The stakeholders accused Adeleke’s administration of deceiving the public by spreading propaganda that the Federal Government withheld local government funds. They insisted no such allocations were seized, adding that the Adeleke government itself obtained a court order stopping the disbursement.
AbdurRaham commended President Tinubu for upholding peace, law, and order despite what he described as undue pressure from the Adeleke-led government.
He expressed disappointment that the League of Imams and Alfas, who should represent the Muslim Ummah, had aligned themselves with the state government to the detriment of Muslims across political parties.
According to him, it was unreasonable for the League to urge President Tinubu to release allocations to the PDP-led Osun government in defiance of the Supreme Court ruling of July 2024.
He stressed that the League could not claim ignorance of the illegality in their call, as the Supreme Court in AGF v. AG Abia had already granted financial autonomy to local governments across the country. He said the Alfas should not be seen as aiding Adeleke’s alleged bid to collect the funds unlawfully.
“The Federal Government under President Tinubu deserves commendation for choosing the path of peace, law, and order while ignoring the propaganda of the PDP, lobbyists, clerics, and other misinformed groups over allocations which were never withheld,” AbdurRaham said.
