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The Omoluabi Progressives have raised alarm over what they described as a “brazen assault on democracy and rule of law” by the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led Federal Government, alleging that billions of naira meant for local government administrations in Osun State are being diverted into “illegal accounts” belonging to individuals they termed “YES OR NO illegal chairmen.”
Addressing journalists on Monday at the Oranmiyan House in Osogbo, the Chairman of the Omoluabi Progressives said the group was compelled to speak out following what it called a dangerous subversion of democracy and judicial authority in Osun State.
According to the group, the October 15, 2022, Osun local government elections conducted under the former APC government were held “in total disregard of the Electoral Act,” and have since been nullified by a valid and subsisting judgment of the Federal High Court.
“The appeal filed by the APC was struck out. That judgment stands today — valid, binding, and unchallenged,” the chairman stated.
He explained that the Federal High Court, in the case filed by the Action Peoples Party (APP), declared the election invalid on the grounds that the ballots used only provided “YES or NO” options for APC candidates, excluding other political parties — an action the court described as undemocratic and unconstitutional.
“By operation of law, those parading themselves as council chairmen and councillors are ‘YES OR NO illegal chairmen.’ They have no lawful mandate, no constitutional backing, and no electoral legitimacy,” the group maintained.
The Omoluabi Progressives accused the Federal Government of “perpetrating fascism” by allegedly starving duly elected local government executives of statutory allocations and diverting the funds into private accounts linked to the purported illegal chairmen.
“This is not only unconstitutional but a direct theft of the people’s resources and political brigandage. It amounts to a declaration of war against the Nigerian Constitution and against the people of Osun State,” the statement read.
The group further warned that such “overbearing conduct” by the Federal Government was a dangerous precedent that could undermine Nigeria’s democracy ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“The same pattern of lawlessness is already being woven into the fabric of Osun politics. Nigerians must take note of what this portends for 2027,” the chairman warned.
Calling for collective resistance, the Omoluabi Progressives urged the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), civil society organisations, and the international community to unite against what they termed “creeping authoritarianism.”
The group listed several demands, including an immediate halt to the diversion of funds, the release of local government allocations to legitimate authorities, and the prosecution of anyone found to have tampered with public resources.
“The YES OR NO illegal chairmen must not touch the money paid into their illegal accounts. Doing so is criminal and it will be revisited now or later,” the group warned, adding that the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) must intervene immediately.
The group declared that the people of Osun “will not surrender their hard-won democracy to fascist dictates.”
“Our democracy was not won to be handed over to political impostors. We will resist this abuse of power, defend the law, and stand for the dignity of Osun people,” the group vowed.
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