Withholding of LG Allocations Responsible for Non-Payment of Traditional Rulers’ Salaries – Group

• Oloyan, a Pro-APC King, Was Wrong to Blame Governor Adeleke

A socio-political group, Osun Democrats for Democracy (ODD), has chided the Oloyan of Oyan in Odo-Otin Local Government Area of Osun State, Oba Kilani Adekeye, for being economical with the truth, displaying undisguised partisan bias and shamelessly twisting the facts about the non-payment of traditional rulers’ salaries, which the group says is a direct consequence of the withholding and diversion of over ₦250 billion in Osun local government allocations by the Federal Government over the last two years.

In a statement issued today in Osogbo, the group expressed shock at what it described as the brazen lies and misrepresentation of facts by a monarch allegedly collaborating with the Osun APC Yes/No chairmen, whom it accused of orchestrating the diversion of the local government allocations in the first place. The group also described the monarch as a widely known ally of the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy and a leading figure in the Osun APC, Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola.

Wondering why the traditional ruler opted to make false allegations against the state governor even when the interviewer attempted to correct him, the group stated that the salaries of traditional rulers are tied to local government allocations and that the withholding of these allocations by the monarch’s political allies had halted payments to palaces across the state.

The group defended Governor Adeleke’s sacrifices and humanitarian gestures, noting that the governor had deployed part of the state’s resources to pay the salaries of local government teachers, health workers, local government pensioners and workers at local government secretariats. This, it said, was done at a time when some traditional rulers, including Oba Adekeye, were allegedly collaborating with those responsible for withholding the local government allocations, including the five per cent allocation meant for traditional rulers.

While alleging that some traditional rulers received money from the Yes/No chairmen before the state governorship election, the group queried why Oba Adekeye could not call out the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Mr Gboyega Oyetola, and the state leadership of the APC over the withholding of local government allocations.

It noted that, “Kabiyesi opted to accuse an innocent leader of an offence he never committed.”

“The Oloyan of Oyan could not speak the truth because he is a member of the APC who actively campaigned for the party in the last governorship election. Reports showed that the Yes/No chairmen stopped providing funds to their loyal traditional rulers from August, hence the sudden false attacks on Governor Adeleke.

“We urge Kabiyesi to shed his partisan garb and join ongoing efforts to resolve the local government crisis. We appeal to Kabiyesi to speak the truth by joining the call on the Federal Government to resolve the local government matter as quickly as possible.

“We remind Kabiyesi, the Oloyan of Oyan, and other traditional rulers who benefited from the Yes/No chairmen to summon the courage to return to democratic normalcy. No amount of blackmail and false accusations can erase the facts of history, which are well documented.

“Governor Adeleke has demonstrated commendable maturity and a high sense of responsibility throughout the local government leadership dispute. All Osun patriots should join hands in appealing to the Federal Government to fast-track the resolution of the local government leadership crisis,” the group concluded.

Signed:

Adeyefa Adeyemo

Director of Operations and Public Affairs

Osun Democrats for Democracy (ODD)

11 November 2026