Osun Government Defends Chairmen’s Resumption in Councils, Says APC Tenure Has Expired
The Osun State Government has defended the resumption of local government chairmen elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in several council secretariats across the state, insisting that the tenure of the All Progressives Congress (APC) chairmen has expired.
The government’s position follows a recent judgment of the Federal High Court in Osogbo, which dismissed a suit filed by APC chairmen elected in the October 15, 2022 local government election seeking clarification on the duration of their tenure.
Speaking on the development, the Deputy Spokesperson to Governor Ademola Adeleke, Oladele Bamiji, said the court ruling affirmed that the APC chairmen were no longer legally entitled to remain in office.
According to Bamiji, the PDP chairmen resumed duties in council areas including Ede North, Ede South, Ifelodun, Ila, Iwo and Boripe Local Government Areas.
However, the resumption was not without controversy. At the Olorunda Local Government Secretariat in Igbona, Osogbo, PDP officials reportedly encountered resistance from security operatives, leading to a brief standoff before discussions were held and the officials eventually left the premises.
Defending the return of the PDP officials to the councils, Bamiji maintained that they remained the legally elected local government administrators in the state.
“They are the lawful chairmen and should ordinarily be in the local governments. APC has no business occupying the councils,” he said.
He added that the PDP chairmen were merely complying with the court’s decision by resuming their duties.
“Going by the judgment delivered by the Federal High Court in Osogbo, it is only normal that the local government chairmen elected on the platform of the PDP return to office and continue serving the people who elected them,” Bamiji stated.
The government further dismissed reports of widespread resistance to the resumption, arguing that the APC lacked any legal basis to prevent the chairmen from assuming office.
“Our elected chairmen will continue to perform the responsibilities entrusted to them by the people. Refusing to resume work after the court’s decision would amount to disobedience of the law,” Bamiji added.
Meanwhile, the APC has rejected the government’s interpretation of the judgment. Speaking on behalf of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) in Osun State, APC chairman Adegoke Ogunsola accused the PDP chairmen of attempting to forcefully take over council secretariats.
Ogunsola disclosed that the APC chairmen had already appealed the Federal High Court judgment and filed a motion for stay of execution, insisting that the PDP chairmen were not parties to the suit and could not legally benefit from the ruling.
He urged residents to remain peaceful and allow the judicial process to take its course, stressing that key issues surrounding the leadership of the councils are now before the Court of Appeal.
The dispute continues to deepen the political battle over local government administration in Osun State, with both parties laying claim to the councils while awaiting further judicial pronouncements.