Osun Crisis: FG Issues Fresh Directives to Gov. Adeleke on LG Election

Amid the ongoing Osun crisis, the Federal Government has given Governor Ademola Adeleke new directives concerning the controversial local government election.

The Federal Government has urged Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State to postpone the local government elections set for Saturday, due to the current political crisis in the state.

The Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Lateef Fagbemi, issued a statement late Thursday in which he emphasized that the law’s stance on the conflict between the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was unequivocal.

Earlier in the week, tensions heightened when a violent altercation erupted between supporters of both parties, leading to the death of a former council chairman and injuries for several others.

The government of Osun State attributed the crisis to the APC and former governor Gboyega Oyetola, who is currently serving as Minister of Marine and Blue Economy.

Adeleke promised that nothing would prevent Saturday’s election from taking place and encouraged the people to show up in large numbers.

In his statement on Thursday, Fagbemi mentioned that the order, which the governor used as grounds to dismiss the local government chairmen elected during that administration, had been overturned by the court.

I have become aware of the public outcry from Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, regarding the Court of Appeal’s Akure division judgment on February 10th, 2025. This decision in Appeal No CA/AK/272/2022 overturned and nullified the ruling made by the Federal High Court in Osogbo, Osun State on November 25th, 2022.

Issuing this public notice has become essential to dispel the doubts, fears, and uncertainties caused by misrepresentations and misinformation about the legal impact of the Court of Appeal’s judgment.

To provide the proper context, during Adegboyega Oyetola’s tenure as Governor of Osun State, elections were held for all local government positions in Osun State and the elected officials were subsequently sworn into office. This event triggered the two judgements mentioned earlier.

A few days prior to Governor Adeleke’s swearing-in, the Federal High Court in Osogbo issued a judgment that nullified the election of local government officials and removed them from office. Shortly after assuming office, Governor Adeleke signed an executive order to physically remove these elected officials and appoint caretakers in their place.

In the meantime, the APC, a party in the previously mentioned Federal High Court case, challenged the judgement by filing an appeal. On February 10th, 2025, the Court of Appeal delivered its decision on this appeal. The appellate court not only upheld APC’s challenge but also declared that the original suit leading to the Federal High Court’s judgement was inadmissible and subsequently ordered it to be struck out.

As a result, the Court of Appeal’s decision implicitly reinstated the elected Local Government officials who had been removed by the Federal High Court, returning them to their positions.

Based on the information provided to my office, it was the effort by certain elected officials to return to their positions that faced resistance from some discontented individuals, resulting in the crisis. The Governor of Osun State, His Excellency Ademola Nurudeen Jackson Adeleke, is undoubtedly aware of this situation and should have taken action as a leader by addressing these disgruntled elements in line with his Oath of Office to uphold law and order in Osun State.

Despite the Court of Appeal’s decision, which effectively reinstates the term of office for elected officials until October 2025, His Excellency has announced that a new Local Government election will take place on Saturday, February 22nd, 2025. Holding such an election would not only be invalid because it overlaps with the current term restored by the Court but also represents a serious violation of the Constitution Governor Adeleke is sworn to uphold. Furthermore, a recent Supreme Court ruling affirming and strengthening Local Government autonomy compels Governor Adeleke to facilitate smooth and peaceful transitions between elected officials according to their three-year statutory terms.

It is, therefore, crucial for Governor Adeleke to advise the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSIEC) to abandon plans for conducting any Local Government Election at this time.