Tensions flared in Osun State on Friday as the state government and the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) clashed over the implications of a fresh ruling by the Court of Appeal in Akure on the controversial October 15, 2022 local government elections.
The appellate court dismissed an application by the APC seeking to relist an appeal earlier struck out on January 13, 2024, for lack of diligent prosecution. In a virtual judgment, Justice Peter Obiorah ruled that reinstating the appeal would amount to judicial confusion and declared the application lacking in merit.
The original case was filed by the All Peoples Party (APP) against the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSIEC), challenging the legality of the council polls, which featured only APC candidates. The Federal High Court had nullified the election, prompting the APC to appeal the verdict—a process it later abandoned, leading to the appeal being struck out.
Reacting to the latest judgment, Osun State Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, said the dismissal reinforced the binding status of the Federal High Court ruling that voided the LG elections. He accused the APC of igniting a political crisis that led to the loss of lives and property in the state.
“This judgment is a clear reaffirmation that the sacked council officials have no legal standing,” Alimi said. “The APC dragged the state into unnecessary turmoil by clinging to a flawed mandate.”
However, the APC pushed back strongly, accusing the PDP-led state government of misrepresenting the court’s position. In a statement, APC spokesperson Kola Olabisi insisted that the Court of Appeal’s February 10, 2025 ruling—which the party claims reinstated its elected chairmen and councillors—remains valid and unaffected by Friday’s judgment.
“The ruling delivered today has no connection with the February decision that restored our officials,” Olabisi stated. “This is a calculated attempt by the Osun government to mislead the public.”
The standoff signals a renewed legal and political battle over control of the local councils in the state, with both sides interpreting the court’s rulings in ways that support their positions.
