THE Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSSIEC) has reaffirmed the validity of the February 22, 2025 Local Government elections conducted across the state, declaring that the elected Chairmen and Councillors remain the legitimate officials of the various Local Government Areas.
In a letter written to both the Department of State Security (DSS) and Nigeria Police, Nigeria Civil Defence Corp and Engineering Construction Regiment the Nigeria Army, Ede, the commission maintained that the Court-sacked Yes or No Chairmen does not have any legal rights to be in the local government secretariats.
The Commission stressed that no court of law has invalidated the elections conducted by OSSIEC, adding that the outcome of the polls remains legally binding.
The Commission further stated that its constitutional mandate is to provide political leadership at the grassroots through the conduct of Local Government elections, adding that the February 2025 election remains the latest exercise conducted in line with its mandate.
The clarification followed the judgment of the Federal High Court sitting in Osogbo on Monday, June 15, 2026, which dismissed the tenure elongation suit filed by the sacked APC Local Government Chairmen.
According to OSSIEC, one of the reliefs sought by the plaintiffs was the nullification of the 2025 Local Government elections, but the court refused to grant the request.
The Commission therefore maintained that the Chairmen and Councillors elected on February 22, 2025, remain the lawful representatives of Osun Local Government Council Areas.
In another letter addressed to the DSS and the Police, Musibau Adetunbi SAN stated that the Executive Governor of Osun State issued an executive order directing the police to remove the illegal APC chairmen and ensure the safety of all local government staff, as well as the smooth resumption of the elected council chairmen who were elected on 22nd February, 2025.
It is important to note that the sacked APC chairmen specifically sought the following reliefs from the court: permission to continue in office, nullification of the 2025 local government election, invalidation of the oaths of office of the elected local government chairmen, an order restraining the defendants from removing them (the sacked APC chairmen) from the council secretariats, and an order directing the police to continue providing security for them at the local government secretariats.
All the reliefs specifically sought by them were expressly refused by the court, and their Originating Summons was dismissed in its entirety. A Certified True Copy of the court’s enrolment order is hereby attached.
It must also be stated that no court has issued any order staying the decision or granting an injunction against the implementation of the judgment. The mere filing of an appeal or an application for stay does not, in itself, constitute a court order restraining the enforcement or implementation of a judgment.