The Interim Management Committee (IMC) of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) has been thrown into a deepening internal crisis following grave allegations by the committee’s Secretary, Mohammed Abubakar, who has accused the Chairman of the ALGON Board of Trustees (BoT), Hon. Shaban Oninoyi, and a BoT member, Hon. Fred Ezinwa, of deliberately sabotaging the mandate of the IMC through false accusations, misrepresentation, and actions bordering on criminality.
In what is perceived as one of the most serious internal rifts in ALGON’s recent history, Abubakar alleged that the BoT leadership has embarked on a calculated campaign to undermine his office by falsely accusing him of financial impropriety and other misconduct, a move he claimed was aimed at distracting attention from deeper governance issues within the organisation.
Speaking on the unfolding crisis, the IMC Secretary when contacted by our correspondent, said tensions escalated after he resisted attempts to compromise due process within some activities in ALGON. According to him, rather than address institutional concerns raised internally, certain BoT leaders allegedly resorted to false representation, intimidation, and character assassination.
“It beats my imagination how people who should stand for equity and justice would go around brandishing force and false allegations against me.He who comes to equity must come with clean hands.” Abubakar stated.
He maintained that the allegations against him were baseless, insisting they formed part of a broader strategy to derail the IMC’s reform mandate and weaken internal accountability mechanisms within the association.
In one of the most explosive claims, Abubakar alleged that Hon. Shaban Oninoyi and Hon. Fred Ezinwa each received ₦50 million from an ALGON consultant in a recent deal, raising serious ethical concerns about their conduct and moral authority to accuse others of financial wrongdoing because of greed for more. He questioned how individuals facing such allegations could credibly position themselves as arbiters of integrity within the organisation.
The controversy further deepened with allegations linking the BoT leadership to a fugitive identified as Ahmed, who reportedly absconded with ALGON vehicles under disputed circumstances. According to Abubakar, the individual fled to Adamawa State when efforts were allegedly being made to arrest him and subsequently obtained a court restraining order. He insisted that a police investigation report already exists, detailing how ALGON vehicles disappeared and the fugitive’s alleged involvement.
“What is most disturbing is that the same BoT leadership went ahead to sit with a fugitive who ran away with ALGON vehicles,” Abubakar said, adding that the facts surrounding the matter were already known to relevant authorities.
He further alleged that the fugitive is known for boasting of strong connections within government, security agencies, and the judiciary, claims that, if substantiated, point to a troubling pattern of institutional manipulation and impunity.
Abubakar warned that the unfolding situation reflects a wider culture of impunity, where alleged wrongdoing is concealed through influence and intimidation, while dissenting voices are targeted and framed as scapegoats.
“After committing all kinds of acts, people return to manipulate the system. Before you know it, they escape responsibility while desperately looking for someone else to blame,” he said, noting that he had been “pushed to the wall” and left with no choice but to speak out.
He also lamented that repeated controversies have significantly damaged ALGON’s credibility, observing that several government ministries and institutions now distance themselves from the association due to its image crisis.
“Is ALGON the only body in this country?” he asked. “Many institutions no longer want to identify with ALGON because of these kinds of issues. Our past actions have already harmed the organisation, yet we still refuse to learn.”
Vowing to fully expose what he described as internal rot within ALGON, Abubakar stressed that the organisation must choose between genuine reform and continued decline. “ALGON must be rescued from greed, manipulation, and moral collapse,” he said.
Meanwhile as of the time of filing this report, Hon. Shaban Oninoyi and Hon. Fred Ezinwa had not publicly responded to the allegations.
We will update as the story unfolds….stay tuned.
