Members of the Osun State chapter of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria, ALGON, and leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Friday accused the Osun State Government of deliberately instigating crises over the control of local government councils in the state.
Addressing a press conference in Osogbo on behalf of the party, Barrister Adegoke Ogunsola alleged that the state government had misinterpreted a recent judgment of the Federal High Court, Osogbo, in a manner capable of causing public disorder.
Ogunsola said the suit, filed by reinstated APC chairmen and councillors on September 12, 2025, sought judicial interpretation of the commencement date of their tenure in office under relevant Osun State laws and noted that the court dismissed the case on June 15, 2026.
According to him, “the dismissal of the suit did not amount to validation of the local government elections allegedly conducted on February 22, 2025, as being claimed by the state government and its supporters.
“Sequel to the dismissal, the Osun State Government and its henchmen stormed the streets and began to foment avoidable crises by ascribing the dismissal of the suit to validation of the ruse being paraded as the outcome of local government elections purportedly held on February 22, 2025.”
The APC leaders further criticised Governor Ademola Adeleke’s request for police protection for individuals he described as elected local government officials, arguing that such a move was embarrassing and condemnable and could plunge the state into chaos.
Ogunsola disclosed that the Federal High Court judgment had already been appealed and that an application for stay of execution was filed on June 16, 2026, and served on all parties involved, including the police.
“To set the record straight, the judgment of the FHC that they want to utilise to enthrone themselves is the subject of an appeal, with an application for stay of execution dated and filed on June 16, 2026, and which has been served on the parties,” he stated.
He argued that the individuals seeking to assume control of the councils were not parties to the suit and that the court did not grant any relief in their favour.
He maintained that the police, being aware of the pending appeal and motion for stay, should not be used to enforce the judgment.
Ogunsola also cited a portion of the court judgment which, according to him, affirmed that the tenure of the elected chairmen and councillors ran from October 2022 to October 2025.
Quoting from the ruling, Ogunsola said, “No matter the interruptions or interjections in the tenure of the elected public officer after subscription to the oath of office and oath of allegiance, the expiration date of the said tenure remains the same as per the Constitution or the statute.”
He argued that the court’s pronouncement implied that the local government elections and subsequent swearing-in ceremony allegedly conducted by the state government in February 2025 were null and void, adding that the matter had already been placed before the Court of Appeal.
The APC leaders urged residents of Osun State to remain peaceful and continue their lawful activities, insisting that there was no court order authorising any group to take over council secretariats pending the determination of the appeal.
While commending security agencies, including the police, the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), for maintaining peace in the state, they warned that any breakdown of law and order arising from attempts to enforce the disputed interpretation of the judgment would be the responsibility of the Osun State Government.