The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has condemned the reported freezing of statutory allocations to local governments in Osun State, describing the action as “political terrorism” and accusing the Federal Government of using state institutions to undermine the opposition ahead of the August 15 governorship election.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the party alleged that the move was part of a wider campaign to destabilise the state and weaken the administration before the polls.
“The ADC condemns in the strongest possible terms the freezing of the statutory allocations due to the local governments of Osun State.
”This is not an administrative decision or a legal dispute. It is political terrorism, ” he said.
The party claimed that withholding the funds would negatively affect workers’ salaries, healthcare services, education and other essential public services, insisting that innocent residents should not bear the consequences of political rivalry.
According to the ADC, the alleged funds freeze is only one aspect of what it described as a sustained campaign of intimidation, which it said also includes the continued occupation of local government councils by unelected APC loyalists, the arrest of opposition figures and alleged political violence.
The opposition party accused the Federal Government of treating political competition as warfare, warning that such an approach poses a serious threat to Nigeria’s democracy.
“President Bola Tinubu’s mentality, which regards political contests as warfare, constitutes a serious threat to democratic engagement.”
The ADC further alleged that armed political thugs linked to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) had been allowed to intimidate communities, while security agencies allegedly failed to act.
It argued that public institutions should remain neutral and not be used to advance partisan interests.
Calling for an immediate reversal of the alleged action, the party urged the Federal Government to restore all statutory allocations due to Osun local governments and end what it described as intimidation of the state’s people.
“What the people of Osun deserve is the democratic right to freely choose who governs them. But right now, they have been placed under a siege. This rascality has to stop, ” the statement said.
