OSOGBO — The All Progressives Congress (APC) and Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde have clashed over the recently conducted local government elections in Osun State, with both sides trading accusations over the legitimacy and conduct of the polls.
The APC, yesterday, urged the Federal Government to withhold allocations to local government areas in Osun State, following what the party described as an illegal constitution of council heads by Governor Ademola Adeleke
This came as Governor Adeleke inaugurated the new council chairmen. The APC, in a statement, said in wanton disregard for the rule of law, and a valid and subsisting judgment of the Court of Appeal, Governor Adeleke had conducted “what he purported to be a local government election in the state on Saturday, February 22, 2025.”
The party’s spokesperson, Mr Felix Morka, in a statement, said: “In keeping with the rule of law, it is our expectation that the Federal Government will make federal allocation for local governments available only to democratically elected and judicially certified local government officials in Osun State.
“In effect, the Court of Appeal nullified the judgment of the Federal High Court and reinstated the sacked local government officials until the expiration of their term of office in October 2025.
That is the valid, subsisting and binding legal position on the matter. “Following the sack of the local government officials in 2022, Governor Adeleke appointed illegal and unconstitutional ‘caretaker committees’ to run the affairs of local government councils in the state in egregious violation of Section 7(1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which stipulates that ‘the system of local government by democratically elected local government councils is under this Constitution guaranteed’. “The purported last Saturday’s fresh election conducted by Governor Adeleke and his PDP is nothing but a disgraceful sham, illegal, unconstitutional and violently contemptuous of the valid and subsisting judgment of the Court of Appeal, and of no effect whatsoever.
“The exercise was a reckless waste of public funds, and an irresponsible incitement to further violence in an already volatile atmosphere in the state. “The sensible and democratic remedy available to Governor Adeleke is to exercise his government’s right to appeal to the Supreme Court in the matter. “We urge Governor Adeleke to immediately end his illegal and anti-democratic push for fresh local government election, and abide by the valid judgment of the Court of Appeal in the matter.
“Breaking news reports of the purported swearing in of ‘newly elected’ local government officials by Governor Adeleke constitutes needless political provocation and a clear renewed threat to the peace and safety of lives in the state.”
Don’t turn Osun into Wild West, Makinde warns APC
Meanwile, Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, yesterday warned the All Progressives Congress, APC, not to turn Osun State into ‘wild west’, saying they must respect the rule of law. Speaking at the swearing-in of newly elected local government chairmen inside Government House, Osogbo, Osun State, Governor Makinde, flanked by the chairman of the PDP Governors Forum, Governor Bala Muhammed of Bauchi State, cautioned against resorting to self-help. Makinde reminded those instigating trouble in Osun State to remember history and learn from it, warning that the state should not be plunged into crisis over a matter that could be resolved by the judiciary. He said: “We don’t want wild, wild west again.
They (APC) should stay away from this zone. We want to provide dividends of democracy to our people peacefully. “If anybody has a judgement, there is a procedure for enforcement of court decisions. It is illegal to resort to self-help. The era of resorting to federal might is long gone.” Adeleke inaugurates newly elected chairmen, councillors Governor Adeleke, on his part, who conducted the swearing-in of the new council chairmen, said: “We are all aware of the journey to where we are. The state is today rounding up a process that started a year or so ago.
The state electoral body had issued due notice of election a year ago. I know the commission had complied with all extant rules and procedures which led to the emergence of new local government chairmen and councillors. “We are equally aware of the legal controversies that dogged the holding of the election. It is however a thing of joy that the facts are out in the public domain and we are satisfied that we are on the side of the law within the context of the rule of law and the Constitution.
“You have the mandate to deliver on good governance in your respective local governments. I charge you to develop plans of action within the manifesto of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. As our government transforms the state for the better, I call on you to be agents of change, community developers and deliverers of dividends of democracy.”
Directing the elected chairmen and councillors to stay away from the local government secretariats, he said: “An Osun State High Court had affirmed the vacancies in both the Chairmen and Councilors’ positions in all of Osun State Local Governments before your election on February 25, 2025. We will, therefore, rely on the judiciary to ensure a peaceful removal of those illegally occupying the local government secretariats.
