Osun LG Crisis: Tinubu Sets Up Committee Led by Gbajabiamila to Broker Deal With Adeleke

President Bola Tinubu has reportedly initiated negotiations with Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke to resolve the lingering crisis over the control and administration of local government councils in the state.

According to the report, a senior Osun State Government official disclosed that Tinubu initiated the peace process during Adeleke’s visit to the Presidential Villa in Abuja shortly after the August 15 governorship election.

The official said the President subsequently constituted a committee led by his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, to develop a framework for resolving the dispute between the state government and the All Progressives Congress (APC)-backed local government officials.

The source added that negotiations had reached an advanced stage, with both parties considering an out-of-court settlement to restore normalcy to local government administration in the state.

According to the official, the proposed arrangement would involve both sides agreeing on a resolution framework before approaching the court to formalise an out-of-court settlement.

The source also clarified that the committee was established shortly after the governorship election, dismissing suggestions that the initiative was a recent development.

The local government crisis has remained a major political and legal dispute in Osun State, with rival political camps contesting the legitimacy of council leadership and control of local government funds.

Governor Adeleke’s spokesperson, Mallam Olawale Rasheed, also confirmed that the Presidency and the state government were working towards resolving the impasse through negotiations.

Speaking during a radio programme in Osogbo on Wednesday, Rasheed said discussions had reached an advanced stage, although he was not a member of the negotiating team and could not provide details of the proposed settlement.

He expressed optimism that the crisis would be resolved before the 2027 general elections, noting that the dispute involved complex legal, political and administrative issues.

Rasheed said the disagreement involved APC-backed chairmen and councillors whose tenure, according to him, expired on October 25, 2025, as well as Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chairmen and councillors who were elected but had yet to assume office amid concerns about possible violence.

He also identified questions surrounding the management of local government funds and purchases allegedly made by the APC-backed officials as issues requiring careful consideration during the negotiations.

“The local government matter is very complicated. Politically and legally, it has passed over layers and layers of complexity,” Rasheed said, according to the report.

He added that the state government and the Presidency were working to determine the most appropriate way to resolve the dispute and restore normalcy.

The reported negotiations come amid efforts to address the prolonged disagreement over local government administration in Osun, which has involved court cases and clashes between opposing political interests.

While the proposed deal could provide a pathway towards resolving the crisis, details of the framework and the precise terms of any settlement have not been made public.

The outcome of the negotiations is expected to determine how the competing claims over local government leadership and administration will be addressed ahead of the 2027 general elections.