Osun LG councils under APC control, says ALGON chairman

By Deborah Oladejo, Osogbo –

The Chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) in Osun State, reinstated on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Hon. Abiodun Idowu, has declared that APC chairmen are firmly in control of councils across the state following the conclusion of all major court cases.

Addressing members of the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Osogbo on Tuesday, Idowu said the legal battles that trailed council leadership in Osun had largely ended and that stability was gradually returning to the local government system.

He revealed that programmes and projects would soon be rolled out to convince the public that council administrations are fully on the ground and ready to deliver dividends of democracy.

Idowu, who is the Executive Chairman of Ifedayo Local Government, described local government as the most important tier of government, noting that it is closest to the people and that neglecting the grassroots would have serious consequences for development.

“The grassroots is the most important level of society because that is where the people and the votes are. We all reside at the local government level, and neglecting that level would amount to waste and would not augur well for the public. The best approach is to focus on local government and identify what will benefit the people,” he said.

The ALGON chairman also commended President Bola Tinubu for advancing local government autonomy, saying the policy, if well monitored and sustained, would transform towns and villages across the country.

He expressed optimism that effective autonomy would reduce over-reliance on state and federal governments in the near future.

On the leadership of ALGON in Osun State, Idowu dismissed claims of parallel chairmen, insisting that he holds an official letter from the ALGON national office recognising him as the sole chairman of the association in the state. He added that he assumed office on February 10, 2025, and that his three-year tenure remains valid.