As the battle over the monthly allocations due to local councils in Osun State festers, the Chairman of Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) in the state, Sarafadeen Awotunde, yesterday, told President Bola Tinubu to caution the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and Accountant-General of the Federation (AGF) against creating anarchy.

He described as unconstitutional and illegal the alleged attempt by the CBN in Osun to release arrears of the monthly allocations due to councils in the state to chairmen elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) during the October 15, 2022 poll.

Awotunde, who spoke during a media briefing in Osogbo, the state capital, chided the Controller of CBN in the state for her alleged uncooperative attitude over the issue regarding the opening of accounts for local councils in the state.

He said that his team went to the CBN yesterday (Monday) around 3:00 p.m., having heard that some dismissed YES/No APC impostors had gone to get a form on the LG account.

Awotunde, who hinted that they were told to return on Tuesday at 8:00 a.m., said efforts to get an audience with the CBN Controller were unsuccessful as they were locked out of the office located at Abere.

MEANWHILE, the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), yesterday, urged Tinubu and the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), to uphold the sanctity of the rule of law by directing the Inspector-General of Police to immediately expel operatives of the APC and their loyalists who have forcefully occupied local council secretariats in Osun State.

The group noted that this unlawful occupation is in violation of a binding judgment of the Court of Appeal, which affirmed the electoral victory of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chairmen and councillors.

HURIWA’s National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, while speaking at a media briefing in Abuja, yesterday, warned that the continued failure of federal authorities to enforce the appellate court’s decision risks deepening the nation’s descent into lawlessness and signals a tacit endorsement of impunity.

The group commended the Attorney-General of Osun State, Wole Jimi-Bada, for his unwavering defence of the rule of law and public condemnation of the police-backed takeover.

It, therefore, called for urgent collaboration between the federal and Osun State governments to restore constitutional order across the state’s 30 local councils and development council areas.

HURIWA also specifically called on the Attorney-General of the Federation to advise the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to immediately withdraw all police personnel guarding the illegal occupants of the council offices and ensure that the duly elected PDP officials regain access to their offices.

It warned that any delay or refusal would suggest active complicity by federal law enforcement in the ongoing illegality.