The Special Adviser to the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Dr. Bolaji Akinola, has dismissed claims by the Osun State House of Assembly linking the minister, Dr. Adegboyega Oyetola, to the management of local government finances, describing the allegations as “fabricated, malicious and misleading.”
Akinola was responding to a statement issued on Sunday, February 1, 2026, by the Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Adewale Egbedun.
He said attempts to associate Oyetola with the disbursement or control of local government funds amounted to “reckless propaganda” aimed at deflecting attention from the state government’s challenges and unresolved legal disputes.
According to him, Oyetola has no constitutional or statutory role in local government finances and has never issued directives to banks or interfered with the administration of local councils.
He stressed that Nigeria’s local governments enjoy full financial autonomy as guaranteed by law.
Akinola said the Speaker’s remarks echoed what he described as “discredited narratives” previously advanced by Governor Ademola Adeleke, accusing the state government and the House of Assembly of seeking to unlawfully reassert control over local government funds in defiance of binding court rulings.
He noted that the Supreme Court judgment of July 11, 2024, affirmed the financial autonomy of local governments and expressly barred state governors from interfering in their affairs.
“The judgment is clear, final and cannot be overturned by press statements, political threats or legislative manoeuvres,” he said.
.The minister’s aide also referred to a Court of Appeal judgment delivered on February 10, 2025, which reinstated elected local government chairmen in Osun State.
He noted that the state government did not appeal the ruling, making it final and enforceable.
He dismissed claims that the reinstated chairmen were illegal, describing them as “false and intellectually dishonest,” and maintained that the officials were duly elected and reinstated by a competent court.
Akinola further alleged that the Osun State Government had instituted more than 12 court cases on the matter, creating administrative bottlenecks, and accused the Adeleke administration of instigating an 11-month strike by local government workers to cripple council operations.
He maintained that local governments have the constitutional authority to administer their funds independently of the state government and the House of Assembly, noting that they also have elected councillors who constitute their legislative arms.
While accusing the Speaker of deliberate misinformation, Akinola warned against what he described as reckless remarks directed at President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, stressing that public office holders are accountable for their statements.
He called on Nigerians and civil society organisations to defend local government autonomy and resist attempts to undermine the Supreme Court’s ruling, insisting that the rule of law must prevail over political interests.