The governorship candidate of the Allied Peoples’ Movement (APM) in Oyo State, Bimbo Adekanmbi, has challenged his All Progressives Congress (APC) counterpart, Senator Sharafadeen Alli, to present his legislative record on efforts to secure local government autonomy during his three years in the Senate.
Adekanmbi accused Alli of making promises on local government autonomy to win votes, alleging that the senator had failed to sponsor any bill to advance the cause since representing Oyo South Senatorial District.
The APM candidate, in a statement by the Director of Communication and spokesperson of the Oyo State APM Governorship Campaign Council, Yinka Oladoyinbo, made the allegations while speaking on Fresh FM Ibadan’s programme, Political Circuit, where he questioned Alli’s commitment to the issue and demanded an explanation of his record as a former local government chairman.
“This my Egbon that is saying he is the champion of local government autonomy has been in the Senate for over three years; he has no single bill to that effect,” Adekanmbi said.
He argued that local government autonomy could not be achieved through campaign promises alone, insisting that constitutional amendments and executive action were necessary to implement the Supreme Court’s 2024 judgment on direct allocation of funds to local governments.
Adekanmbi maintained that state governors lacked the power to unilaterally grant local governments full autonomy under the existing legal framework.
He explained that the Joint Account Allocation Committee (JAAC) system was introduced to address disparities between urban and rural local governments, particularly in meeting salary and pension obligations.
According to him, the system ensures that essential obligations, including primary school teachers’ salaries, are deducted before the remaining funds are shared among local governments based on established formulas.
The APM candidate also accused Alli of presiding over a poorly managed Ibadan North Local Government during his tenure as chairman, alleging that teachers were owed several months’ salaries and arrested when they demanded payment.
He further alleged that a report had indicted the former chairman over the management of the council’s finances.
Adekanmbi, however, said his proposed approach to local government administration would focus on addressing the practical challenges associated with financial independence rather than making promises he considered constitutionally unenforceable.
He identified four key issues requiring attention: what happens when allocations are insufficient to cover salaries and pensions, how to ensure fiscal responsibility and transparency, how to prevent local government chairmen from abusing public funds, and how councils would cope if federal allocations stopped.
The APM candidate said he would ensure that residents had a say in how funds meant for their local governments were spent if elected governor.
“I am saying it live that anybody that comes and says that he wants to grant local government autonomy is mercilessly telling lies to get their votes because they know that is what they want to hear, but I will not go and promise people local government autonomy,” he said.
Adekanmbi reiterated his challenge to Alli to explain how he intended to achieve local government autonomy and account for his performance as chairman of Ibadan North Local Government.
