OSUN: Court orders state govt to conduct LG elections amid political tension

Osun State is on edge as a fresh legal ruling has set the stage for a contentious local government election this Saturday, February 22, 2025.

The Osun State High Court sitting in Ilesa has ordered the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSSIEC) to proceed with the polls, despite fierce opposition and rising political tensions.

Justice A. Aderibigbe, in a ruling delivered on Friday, February 21, directed OSSIEC to fill the vacant positions of local government chairmen and councillors across the 30 local government areas and local council development areas (LCDAs) in the state.

This decision follows a suit filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) against OSSIEC and its chairman, Hashim Abioye, challenging the delay in conducting the elections.

This ruling does not exist in a vacuum. It comes on the heels of a heated controversy surrounding a February 10 Court of Appeal judgment on the tenure of local government chairmen elected under the banner of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The interpretation of that verdict has sharply divided the state’s political landscape.

The APC insists that the ruling reinstated its local government officials, whom Governor Ademola Adeleke of the PDP had removed upon assuming office. The PDP, however, denies this claim, maintaining that the previous administration’s tenure had legally ended and that new elections must proceed.

The political battle quickly spilled into the streets. On Monday, violence erupted in parts of the state as APC functionaries, emboldened by their interpretation of the appellate court’s ruling, forcefully resumed at the secretariats of at least 14 local government areas.

Their presence sparked tensions, leading to clashes between rival political groups, raising fears of further unrest as the election day looms.

Despite the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), warning against conducting local government elections until the supposedly reinstated officials complete their tenure later this year, the Osun State Government has stood its ground.

Governor Adeleke’s administration insists that the elections must proceed as scheduled, dismissing any claims that the sacked APC officials have a legal right to return to office.

This sets the stage for a potential legal and administrative crisis—will the federal government intervene? Will security forces step in to prevent a breakdown of law and order?

With the court’s ruling now giving OSSIEC the legal green light to conduct the elections, all eyes are on Osun.

• Will the APC escalate its resistance and attempt to disrupt the polls?
• Will the PDP-led government successfully organize and execute the elections despite growing opposition?
• Will this legal dispute set a dangerous precedent for other states facing similar political battles?

As the clock ticks toward election day, uncertainty looms over Osun. What was supposed to be a straightforward democratic process has now turned into a battleground, with power, influence, and the future of grassroots governance at stake.

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