Zenith Labour Party Condemns Partisan Conduct by Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation.

PRESS STATEMENT

Zenith Labour Party Condemns Partisan Conduct by Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation.

Osogbo, June 29, 2025.

Zenith Labour Party Condemns Partisan Conduct by Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, described it as highly irregular and professionally questionable action from the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF), under the leadership of Mr. Shamseldeen Ogunjinmi, FCA.

This condemnation arises from a letter dated 10th June 2025, with reference number OAGF/FA/FA/444/LGC,S/29/VOL.1/119/D(FA), signed by one Mrs. Okolieaboh Rita O., FCA, Director (Federation Account). The content and more critically, the destination of this correspondence represent a gross violation of both administrative protocol and constitutional principles.

To our utter dismay, the said correspondence was not addressed to the constitutionally recognized administrative body — the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), Osun State Chapter, through the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Osun State Secretariat, Abere. Instead, it was shockingly addressed to a partisan political entity — the All Progressives Congress (APC) Secretariat, situated at Km 13 Gbongan-Ibadan Road, beside GTBank, Ogo-Oluwa, Osogbo.

This action is unprecedented, unprofessional, and constitutionally offensive. By deliberately addressing a federal document of such significance to a political party's office, the OAGF has compromised the integrity of its office, undermined public trust, and given the unfortunate impression of overt political partisanship in a matter that should be strictly guided by the principles of neutrality, legality, and due process.

We further bring to public attention the following facts:

1. The improperly addressed letter was used as the basis for the unlawful actions of certain individuals who were lawfully removed from office — the so-called APC "YES/NO" Chairmen — when they presented the document at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) branch in Osogbo on Thursday, 19th June 2025, in a bid to obtain account mandate documents for Osun State Local Government funds.

2. These actions violated the ruling of the Court of Appeal delivered on 13th June 2025, which affirmed the legality of the Local Government Elections held on 22nd February 2025 in Osun State and reaffirmed the legitimacy of the elected Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chairmen. Any act that supports the usurpation of that judicial decision amounts to a contempt of court and constitutional subversion.

3. We are particularly concerned that the letter from the OAGF endorsed an unauthorized list of individuals — all affiliated with the APC — to serve as signatories to Local Government accounts. This act constitutes a dangerous overreach, a breach of fiduciary protocol, and a facilitation of political interference under the cloak of federal authority.

It is further troubling that this egregious breach stands in direct contradiction to the stated policy direction of the Federal Government under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who has publicly committed to upholding the rule of law and the separation of powers, especially as it relates to the autonomy and independence of Local Government administration across Nigeria.

In view of the foregoing, we hereby demand the following:

1. Immediate and unconditional withdrawal of the referenced letter misaddressed to the APC Secretariat;

2. A formal and public clarification from the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation on the error, with appropriate acknowledgment of the breach and steps taken to address it;

3. Reissuance of the said correspondence to the constitutionally and administratively recognized body — ALGON Osun State Chapter — through the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Government Secretariat, Abere, Osogbo;

4. An internal administrative inquiry into this matter by the OAGF, with full disciplinary action taken against any official found to have acted outside the bounds of professional ethics and service rules;

5. A thorough investigation by relevant oversight bodies including the Public Accounts Committees of the National Assembly, and a review by the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) to forestall any recurrence of such partisanship in fiscal administration.

This is not merely a clerical or administrative error. This is a calculated abuse of federal influence aimed at undermining the will of the people of Osun State, as clearly expressed through the democratic process. It is also a frontal attack on the supremacy of the judiciary and the sanctity of democratic institutions.

We remind all public office holders that the civil service is not an arm of any political party. The institutions of governance must be protected from political manipulation if Nigeria’s democracy is to endure.

Let it be recorded that Osun State shall not tolerate any form of political adventurism masked as administrative action. We are governed by law, by due process, and by the will of our people — and we shall defend these principles with every lawful means available to us.

We demand accountability. We demand restitution. We demand justice.

Signed,

Adesuyi John Olufemi,

State Chairman,

Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), 

Osun State.