A High Court sitting in Ilesa, Osun State has ordered the leadership of the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSSIEC) to conduct the state local government elections in the state on Saturday, February 22, 2025.
This order was made on Friday, 21st of February, 2025, sequel to a suit brought before the court by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), one of the political parties participating in the election.
The court stated that there is vacancy in the 30 local government areas of the state as held by the judgement of the Federal High Court.
The court found that the election conducted by the first defendant on 15th October 2022, had been invalidated, nullified and voided, and the purported elected officials produced by the purported election had been sacked by the Federal High Court in FHC/CS/OS/103/2022; ACTION PEOPLES PARTY (APP) VS. INDEPENDENT NATIONAL ELECTORAL COMMISSION (INEC) & Ors, delivered on the 30th November 2022 and as confirmed by the decision of the Court of Appeal in Appeal No: CA/AK/226M/2024; ALLIED PEOPLE MOVEMENT (APM) & Ors VS. ACTION PEOPLES PARTY (APP) & ORS delivered on January 13, 2025, that vacancy exists in the political administration of local councils in the State, thereby, consequently upholding the prayers of the PDP in the suit.
The court further directed and compelled all the security agencies, comprising the Nigeria Police, the Nigeria Army, the Department of State Security Services (DSS), the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC), the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), the Amotekun Corps, the Vigilante group etc in the state to provide adequate security during and after the election.
HEADLINENEWS reports earlier that the Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke,insisted that the local government elections scheduled for Saturday will proceed as planned despite an appeal from the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, to suspend the polls.
In a statement on Friday, Adeleke’s spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, emphasised that democracy is guided by the rule of law and that no individual has the authority to override the courts.
“My advice to all parties, including local and national stakeholders, is to abide by democratic norms.
“As for me and my people, we stand by the rule of law, not illegal self-help. Election is going to hold, and the outcome will be a fast-tracked development at the local level. I urge our people to remain peaceful. Osun is a truly peaceful state,” the statement read.
The AGF, in a statement on Thursday, had urged Adeleke to instruct the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission to halt the election, warning that it would be invalid and a violation of the Constitution.
Fagbemi referenced the recent Court of Appeal ruling in Akure, which overturned an earlier Federal High Court judgment that nullified the previous local government elections conducted under former Governor Adegboyega Oyetola.
The ruling effectively reinstated the sacked council chairmen, whose tenure, according to the AGF, remains valid until October 2025.
Fagbemi noted that 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, but it will also amount to an egregious breach of the Constitution, which Governor Adeleke has sworn to uphold.
He further cautioned against any actions that could lead to violence, urging Adeleke to uphold the rule of law and maintain peace in the state.
