Osun PDP Chairmen Seek Court Order to Oust APC Officials from LG Secretariats

The newly elected local government officials in Osun State have approached the Osun State High Court sitting in Ikirun to resolve the ongoing dispute over the occupation of council secretariats by officials elected under former Governor Adegboyega Oyetola’s administration in 2022.

The crisis stems from the October 15, 2022, local government elections conducted by the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led government, which were won by APC candidates through a Yes-or-No voting system.

However, in November 2022, a Federal High Court in Osogbo nullified the election and sacked all elected chairmen and councillors.

Prior to the election, on February 10, 2022, the Court of Appeal sitting in Akure delivered a judgment that has since become a point of contention between the APC, the Osun State Government, and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Occupation of Secretariats Sparks Legal Battle

Following the declaration of results for the February 22, 2025, local government elections conducted by the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSSIEC) under Hashim Abioye, PDP-elected chairmen and councillors emerged victorious.

However, APC chairmen and councillors, citing the appellate court ruling, occupied local government secretariats across the state.

In response, Governor Ademola Adeleke directed the PDP officials to refrain from entering the council offices to avoid potential political unrest.

Arguing that the APC’s occupation of the secretariats is illegal, the PDP-elected chairmen and councillors have sought a court order for their removal, in line with Nigerian law.

The suit lists the Inspector-General of Police, Osun State Commissioner of Police, Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), and the Commandant General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) as defendants.

The case has been adjourned to April 15, 2025, for further hearing, with the court granting permission for substituted service.

NULGE Joins Legal Action Against APC Officials

Additionally, the Osun chapter of the National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) has filed a separate lawsuit at the Osun State High Court in Ilesa, protesting the “forceful invasion and illegal occupation” of council offices by the APC officials.

The union argues that their continued presence poses a threat to local government employees, and it seeks a court order for their removal. The matter has been adjourned to April 17, 2025, with substituted service also granted.

Governor Adeleke Calls for Calm

Meanwhile, the Osun State Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, in a statement, reiterated Governor Adeleke’s call for peace and patience while awaiting the court’s ruling.

“Governor Ademola Adeleke, on behalf of the state government and good people of Osun State, has again sued for calm and restraint by all means, pending when the usurpers in the various local governments, under the guise of being chairmen and councillors of the unconstitutionally conducted Yes/No elections, will be sent packing by the court of law,” the statement read.