The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) dared Federal Government might and won the chairmanship and councillorship seats in the 30 local government areas of Osun State.
The Chairman of the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSSIEC), Hashim Abioye, announced this at a press conference on Saturday.
The commission defied warnings by the police and the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Lateef Fagbemi, to put the poll on hold.
Also read: Power to control Osun soul continues as APC Plans to Boycott LG elections
The commission relied on a judgement of the Osun State High Court in Ilesa which ordered the electoral agency to conduct elections for the vacant positions of chairmen and councillors in the 30 LGAs.
The exercise commenced in some local governments as early as 8 am on Saturday in all the 30 local councils in the South-West state including in the Ede North LGA where Governor Ademola Adeleke cast his vote.
The governor, after the civic responsibility, described the exercise as peaceful. “The process has been very peaceful, I made a broadcast to my good people of Osun State that this election should be peaceful, there should be no violence because Osun State is a very peaceful state,” he said.
Earlier, the state electoral commission boss accused the police of sealing the commission’s headquarters in Osogbo, the state capital, and arresting some personnel.
Abioye, however, said the commission moved to an undisclosed location to carry out its constitutional duty.
The police had on Friday cautioned against the poll citing security threats. The police had said it received credible intelligence indicating a likelihood of violence.
The police warning followed the stance of the AGF who asked the governor of the state to put the local government election on hold.
At least, six persons have been confirmed dead since Monday when APC and PDP members clashed in Osun State over the control of local government councils.
Before the clash, the governor raised the alarm on Sunday that APC members backed by security agencies want to hijack the council secretariats in the state.
The governor, who belongs to the PDP, had asked President Bola Tinubu to caution one of his ministers, Gboyega Oyetola of the APC, over the impending clash but such a measure appeared not to have been put in place hence the escalation.
AGF Warns against the conduct of the election
The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), on Thursday, called on the Osun State Governor to tell the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission to call off Saturday’s local government election in the state.
The AGF, in a statement he signed in Abuja on Thursday, warned that conducting a new local government council election would not only be invalid but would also amount to a breach of the Constitution since the tenure of the purportedly sacked council chairmen is still running according to last week’s decision of the Court of Appeal, Akure Division.
Osun State has been engulfed in a political crisis between the ruling Peoples Democratic Party and the opposition All Progressives Congress over the 18 local government seats in the state.
The crisis escalated on Monday, February 17, leading to the killing of six persons, including an APC chieftain.
The AGF, in his Thursday statement, urged Governor Adeleke to toe the path of law and shun violence.
He said, “My attention has been drawn to the public outcry of Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, concerning the judgment of the Court of Appeal, Akure division delivered on the 10th day of February 2025 in Appeal No CA/AK/272/2022, which nullified and set aside the judgment of the Federal High Court, Osogbo, Osun State, delivered on 25th day of November 2022.
“It has become necessary to issue this public notice to remove doubts, fears and uncertainties created by misrepresentations and disinformation concerning the legal effect of the judgment of the Court of Appeal.
“Putting matters in proper context, the event that led to the two judgments was that during the currency of the term of the former Governor of Osun State, Adegboyega Oyetola, the election was held into all the local governments of Osun State and winners were sworn in.”
The AGF recalled that a few days before the swearing-in of Governor Adeleke, the Federal High Court Osogbo delivered a judgment, nullifying the LG election.
Fagbemi noted that as soon as Governor Adeleke assumed office a few days after the judgment, he issued an executive order for the physical removal of the elected officials and replaced them with caretaker appointees.
Aggrieved by Governor Adeleke’s order, the APC, as a party in the Federal High Court case, appealed against the judgment before the Court of Appeal.
The Court of Appeal, in a judgment delivered on February 10, resolved the issues against the judgment of the Federal High Court by allowing the appeal.
The AGF noted that by this decision, “the judgment of the Court of Appeal has, by implication, effectively restored the elected local government officials removed by the Federal High Court, back to their offices.”
He added that according to the facts made available to his office, it was the attempt by the said elected officials to resume their positions that was resisted by some disgruntled elements which led to the crisis in the state.
“His Excellency, the Governor of Osun State, Ademola Nurudeen Jackson Adeleke is no doubt aware of this scenario and ought to have, as a leader, called the disgruntled elements to order in accordance with his oath of office to maintain law and order in Osun State,” the AGF said.
Warning against a fresh LG poll scheduled for Saturday, the AGF said, “Any such election that may be held will not only be invalid since the term of office of the elected officials just restored by the judgment of the Court of Appeal will still be running until October 2025, it will also amount to an egregious breach of the Constitution which Governor Adeleke has sworn to uphold.
Governor Ademola Adeleke and Minister Adegoyaka Adetola
“Again, the recent judgment of the Supreme Court, which has validated and entrenched local government autonomy also strengthens the obligation on Governor Adeleke to ensure the smooth, non-violent transition from one elected official to another in accordance with the statutorily prescribed three-year tenure.
“For the avoidance of doubt, when proceedings and decisions of the court are declared a nullity for lack of jurisdiction, it means they do not exist and have no effect whatsoever
“I will appeal to His Excellency, Governor Adeleke to toe the path of law in this matter and not instigate unnecessary violence in Osun State. Nobody benefits from violence. It is, therefore, of utmost importance for Governor Adeleke to advise Osun State Independent Electoral Commission to shelve the idea of proceeding with any local government election now.”
