Osun LG chairmen: Political crisis intensifies as APC, Adeleke, PDP flex muscles

Keep up with the latest news and be part of our weekly giveaways and airtime sharing; follow our WhatsApp channel for more updates. Click to Follow us

The Osun State Government and the opposition All Progressives Congress, or APC, clashed sharply on Sunday over the reinstatement of local government chairmen who had been removed from office, sparking a political crisis in Osun State.

Conflicting court decisions at the root of the dispute, which has given rise to accusations of unlawful orders, premeditated violence, and disobedience of court orders from both sides.

Through Kola Olabisi, its State Director of Media and Information, the APC had charged that the government of Governor Ademola Adeleke had purposefully misled the public and disregarded a Court of Appeal decision from February 10, 2025, which the opposition said reinstated the elected chairmen and council members.

In the statement, the Osun APC claimed that the government was planning to stop them from returning by activating security forces against them and announcing an unlawful public holiday.

According to the APC, the Court of Appeal’s decision essentially restored the chairmen, and Adeleke’s administration is trying to get around the decision by holding a new election on February 22, 2025.

Notwithstanding the potential legal repercussions, the party charged that the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission, or OSSIEC, conspired with the government to hold an unlawful poll.

The APC further claimed that in order to attack opposition members and stop the chairmen from taking office again, the government had organized well-known people, including suspected criminals.

“We have intelligence that PDP leaders have recruited thugs, including a known gunrunner recently decorated by Governor Adeleke,” Olabisi claimed.

The APC, meantime, has called for security forces to respect the rule of law and maintain their impartiality.

“We call on the Inspector-General of Police, the DSS Director-General, and other security agencies to ensure that Governor Adeleke and his allies do not create crises where none exist,” Olabisi said.

In response, Governor Ademola Adeleke issued a warning during a global press conference on Sunday about a purported plot by Adegboyega Oyetola, the current Minister of Marine and Blue Economy and a former governor, to seize control of local government councils by force.

He asserted that the state’s peace and stability were in danger because security personnel were being directed to carry out a fictitious order.

Adeleke condemned the scenario as “a deliberate plot to create chaos and anarchy” and argued that the 2022 local government election that brought in the affected chairmen was annulled by two consecutive Federal High Court orders.

“The request for reinstatement was declared an academic exercise by the Court of Appeal. No consequential order was given,” he stated.

However, Adeleke rejected these charges, calling them a “desperate attempt to subvert democracy.” He urged President Bola Tinubu to step in and tell security forces to disregard any unlawful orders from Oyetola. “Mr President is a democrat and will never authorise an unconstitutional takeover,” the governor said.

Additionally, the governor charged Oyetola with manipulating state security forces by abusing his position as Tinubu’s nephew.

“It is sad that the Commissioner of Police, the DSS Director, and the Civil Defence Commandant are taking orders from a former governor who has no constitutional authority,” he added.

Any effort to seize local government offices by force would be met with resistance, Adeleke warned.

“We will not allow any takeover except through judicial pronouncement or democratic process.

Governor Adeleke urged President Bola Tinubu to uphold the rule of law by telling security forces not to disregard any unlawful directives.

“I call on Mr President, to instruct the National Security Adviser, and the Attorney General of the Federation, to personally verify the fact that the Court of Appeal judgement did not reinstate the sacked local government chairmen and councilors and the fact that, there is a subsisting judgement of Court that sacked the Chairmen and Councillors produced by the 2022 local government polls

“I also appeal to the President to insist on the rule of law by instructing the Inspector General of Police, the Director General of DSS, the Commandant General of the Civil Defense Corps not to obey an illegal order from his nephew, Mr Gboyega Oyetola. The Osun State security chiefs should be called to order.”

The government-supporting Osun Peoples Democratic Party, or PDP, issued a warning that the Osun APC could not impose its will on the state’s citizens.

In a statement issued by its chairman, Sunday Bisi, the party responded to the APC’s accusations by dismissing as blatantly false the suggestion that the Court of Appeal reinstated officials elected in the contentious October 16, 2022, council election.

“While it is true that Appeal Court made a judgement on the appeal filed by the APC on February 10, 2025, we made bold to say no part of the judgement ordered any kind of reinstatement as the APC continues to lie about.

“It is important to point out that of the four issues raised before the Court of Appeal by the APC, only two issues, which only touches on the suit and its amendment were decided while the Court in its wisdom, ignored the two other issues which touched on the validity of the election.“

“Equally important is the fact that there exist a valid judgement in suit no: FHC/OS/CS/103/2025 delivered on November 30, 2022, which invalidated the October 15, 2022 election. This judgement which was appealed by the APC was equally dismissed on January 13, 2025 by the Appeal Court on the basis of APC abandonment. The APC are back to the Appeal Court in Akure to revive this appeal, yet, it is trying to deny its existence in the public.“

Bisi underlined that the PDP we will participate in the local government election because the process is in conformity with the rules of the law which needs 365 days notice for the conduct of election

“As a lawful party, we’re prepared to defend our rights as provided by the law and no amount of threats will deter us.”

When the PDP contested the way the APC-led government conducted local government elections in 2022, the legal battle over local government jobs began.

The elected officials were fired when the Federal High Court in Osogbo decided in favor of the PDP.

Later on, though, the APC obtained a Court of Appeal ruling that they understand to be a restoration order.

Please don’t forget to “Allow the notification” so you will be the first to get our gist when we publish it. 
Drop your comment in the section below, and don’t forget to share the post.