Abuja Federal High Court has set September 29, 2025, for the hearing of the motion of objection by the Osun state government to the jurisdiction of the court to entertain a case involving withheld local council funds.
The state, through its lead senior counsel Musibau Adetumbi (SAN), argued that the case be re-transferred to the Osogbo Division since the vacation of the court when the case was heard in Abuja ended on September 16.
Adetumbi further questioned the authenticity of a letter by the Office of the Chief Judge mandating Justice Emeka Nwite to hear the suit in Abuja as wrongly signed by “a personal assistant to the personal assistant” of the Chief Judge. He urged the court to determine the document’s authenticity before taking a break to the merit of the case.
But opposition was mounted by counsel to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Dr. Muritala Abdulrasheed (SAN), and accountant-general of the federation, Alhaji Tajudeen Oladoja (SAN), who were against the application, claiming that the state was deliberately attempting to stall proceedings. They stressed that the tenure of the elected APC councillors and chairmen in Osun elapses on October 22, therefore the requirement that the court quickly make a determination so it will not be academic.
After listening to submissions, the case was adjourned by Justice Nwite to September 29 to resolve the state’s objection to jurisdiction and any other preliminary issues before taking up the substantive suit.
The judge earlier in proceedings struck out the name of the attorney-general of the federation, who was initially the third defendant, after the plaintiff had discontinued its claims against him.
