LG funds: You’re biased, transfer suit back to Osogbo, Osun tells FHC CJ

…applies to delist AGF, arsenic tribunal fixes Sept 22 for hearing

By Ikechukwu Nnochiri

Osun State Government, connected Monday, challenged the transportation of a suit it filed to halt the merchandise of its withheld section authorities allocations into accounts of Chairmen and Councillors elected connected the level of the All Progressives Congress, APC, but sacked by the court.

The state, which queried the relocation of the lawsuit record from Osogbo to Abuja, accused the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho, of bias, insisting determination was nary urgency to warrant his directive that the substance beryllium expeditiously heard wrong the court’s abrogation period.

Therefore, erstwhile the substance was called up, counsel to Osun state, Mr. Musibau Adetunbi, SAN, asked the Abuja part of the tribunal to hands disconnected the case.

Adentunbi, SAN, who represented the Attorney General of Osun State, Oluwole Jimi-Bada, drew the attraction of the tribunal to 2 motions helium said were filed connected August 25 and duly served connected each the parties.

According to him, 1 of the motions is seeking to acceptable speech the relocation of the substance from Osogbo wherever the suit was initiated, arsenic good arsenic a fiat the CJ issued for the tribunal successful Abuja to perceive the lawsuit during vacation.

The 2nd question sought to delist the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, arsenic the 3rd suspect successful the lawsuit that has the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, and the Accountant General of the Federation, arsenic the 1st and 2nd defendants, respectively.

Adducing reasons wherefore the authorities decided to region the Justice Minister from the case, Osun state, successful the process it filed, said it had already lodged a suit against the AGF astatine the Supreme Court.

“Sequel to the affidavit of urgency filed by the AGF connected August 13, it became evident that helium is consenting and astatine the verge of paying the allocation of the Constituent Local Government Councils of the plaintiff’s authorities to the amerciable and sacked APC Chairmen and Councillors.

“Consequent connected the above, the plaintiff is desirous of initiating and prosecuting a caller suit against the 3rd suspect (AGF) astatine the Supreme Court of Nigeria.

“That, immoderate of the facts, questions and issues to beryllium tabled astatine the apex tribunal against the AGF would beryllium identical to the facts, questions and issues earlier the proceedings tribunal successful the instant suit and hence, the request to discontinue the suit against the AGF,” the announcement of discontinuance read.

More so, it prayed the precocious tribunal to enactment further proceedings successful the matter, pending the proceeding and determination of the suit earlier the Supreme Court marked: SC/CV/773/2025, which is betwixt the AG of Osun authorities and the AGF.

Alleging that the AGF was “not consenting to obey, abide by oregon comply with valid and subsisting determination of the Court of Appeal,” connected the matter, the authorities said it took the substance to the apex tribunal sequel to a program to merchandise its withheld LG funds to “illegal and sacked APC Chairmen and Councillors.”

Meanwhile, reacting to the development, Mr. Akin Olujimi, SAN, who represented the AGF, told the tribunal that helium was yet to person immoderate process from the plaintiff.

Olujimi, SAN, arsenic argued that the AGF has a close to beryllium heard by the tribunal earlier helium could beryllium delisted from the substance arsenic prayed by Osun state.

Besides, the AGF prayed the tribunal not to let the plaintiff to dictate however oregon wherever the lawsuit should beryllium conducted, saying determination was request “to guarantee that this lawsuit does not dice without a hearing.”

He told the tribunal that helium had already filed a counter-affidavit to situation the competence of the suit, arsenic good arsenic a question to acceptable speech an interim bid that was earlier issued successful favour of the plaintiff.

On their part, counsel to the CBN, Mr. Muritala Abdulrasheed, SAN, and that of the Accountant General, Tajudeen Oladoja, SAN, accused the Osun authorities authorities of deliberately stalling the determination of the lawsuit until the tenure of the Chairmen and Councillors would elapse.

“My lord, determination is simply a governmental space to this lawsuit and the plaintiff is not desirous to person this substance heard and decided.

“The tenure of the Chairmen and Councillors volition expire connected October 22 and if this mater is not heard expeditiously, it volition go a specified world exercise.

“We are of the sentiment that each pending applications beryllium taken unneurotic wrong this week, especially...