The Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, has defended the payment of accumulated salaries owed to traditional rulers.
The defence by the Osun APC, contained in a statement by Kola Olabisi, its Director of Media and Information, followed objections raised by the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Adewale Egbedun.
The party said the decision by reinstated local government chairmen under the APC to clear the arrears was based on legal obligations and welfare considerations, rather than political motives.
The Osun APC in the statement accused the State Assembly leadership of “displaying hostility towards monarchs through what it described as misplaced priorities and public criticism of the payments.”
The controversy followed remarks credited to Speaker Egbedun, who questioned why the reinstated council chairmen prioritised the settlement of long-delayed salaries for traditional rulers and chiefs.
The APC recalled that the salary backlog accumulated during an 11-month disruption at local government level, which it linked to an industrial action by a faction of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees, NULGE.
According to the party, “access to statutory allocations was also impeded by court actions initiated by the state government, prolonging the non-payment of entitlements to monarchs.”
Defending the payments, the chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria, ALGON, aligned to the Osun APC, Samuel Abiodun Idowu, said the councils acted within the law and in line with party policy.
Idowu stated that the welfare of traditional rulers should not be politicised, describing them as “custodians of culture whose entitlements must be respected.”
He added that the councils would not subject monarchs to “avoidable hardship, harassment or victimisation under any circumstances.”
The ALGON chairman said the payments were consistent with “the Supreme Court judgment of 11 July 2024, which affirmed the autonomy of local government councils across the country.”
He also referenced a Court of Appeal judgment delivered in Akure on February 10, 2025, which reinstated the APC chairmen and councillors, noting that the ruling had not been overturned.
“The reinstated chairmen owe no apology to anyone for paying what is legitimately due to traditional rulers,” Idowu said.
The APC recalled earlier tensions between the state government and some monarchs, including disputes arising from executive actions taken at the beginning of the current administration.
The party also cited a past disagreement involving the Speaker and the Alasi of Asi, Oba Oyewale Olasunkanmi Isaac, which became public following the circulation of an audio recording.
In the recording, the Speaker was heard making remarks perceived as threatening towards the monarch during a private telephone conversation.
The APC said the developments underscored why it was determined to ensure that traditional rulers receive their statutory entitlements without delay.
