The lingering controversy over the control of local government allocations in Osun State took another twist on Thursday as the 30 elected council chairmen secured a fresh court order against the United Bank for Africa (UBA), freezing bank accounts opened by the court-sacked All Progressives Congress (APC) council bosses.
An Oyo State High Court sitting in Ibadan, presided over by Justice A. L. Akintola, granted the interim injunction in an ex-parte motion brought by the elected chairmen. The order restrains UBA from paying, releasing, or tampering with funds deposited in the 30 local government accounts where the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) had controversially lodged statutory allocations belonging to Osun councils.
The Certified True Copy (CTC) of the order, signed by the Principal Registrar of the Oyo State High Court, Mrs. B. O. Somide, was issued on October 2, 2025, and obtained by reporters on Friday.
The claimants, led by Hon. Sarafadeen Awotunde and five others on behalf of all the 30 council chairmen and councillors in Osun State, argued that unless the court intervened urgently, the funds could be dissipated illegally by the ousted APC chairmen, thereby causing irreparable harm to the lawful administrations of the councils.
In his ruling dated 2nd October 2025, Justice Akintola agreed that the matter required urgent judicial intervention. “Having carefully considered the claimants/applicants’ motion ex-parte together with the supporting affidavits and exhibits, this court is satisfied that the claimants/applicants have successfully made out a case for urgent and timely intervention as any delay in granting the interim orders might foist irreversible harm on them,” the judge declared.
Consequently, the court granted:
- An order of interim injunction restraining UBA from paying, releasing, disbursing, or tampering with funds in the disputed local government accounts.
2. An order of mandatory injunction mandating UBA to place a “Post No Debit” (PND) lien on the affected accounts pending the hearing of the substantive motion on notice.
The affected accounts include those of all 30 local governments in Osun State, from Atakumosa East to Osogbo Local Government Area, each identified by name and account number with UBA.
The suit, filed as Suit No. 1/1167/2025 at Court No. 5 of the Ibadan Judicial Division, was moved by counsel to the claimants, Olalekan Adeoye Esq.
Justice Akintola adjourned hearing of the substantive motion on notice for interlocutory injunction to October 9, 2025.
This latest ruling comes amid heightened tension over the handling of Osun’s local government allocations, with the rival camps of sacked APC chairmen and the current elected PDP chairmen locked in a fierce legal battle.
The state government had on Friday last week obtained a similar injunction against the accounts in a case instituted by the Attorney-General of Osun State.
Hearing in that case comes up today (Friday) before Justice Akintola.
