The Federal Government has called on Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State to suspend the local government elections scheduled for Saturday, citing a recent Court of Appeal ruling reinstating previously sacked local government chairmen.
Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Lateef Fagbemi, issued a statement on Thursday, clarifying the legal position surrounding the ongoing dispute between the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state.
Fagbemi emphasized that the court had nullified the order upon which Governor Adeleke had relied to remove the elected local government officials.
“The judgement of the Court of Appeal, delivered on February 10, 2025, effectively restored the elected local government officials who were earlier removed based on a ruling by the Federal High Court in Osogbo,” Fagbemi said.
He explained that the initial removal of the officials occurred under an executive order issued by Governor Adeleke, following a November 2022 Federal High Court ruling that nullified their election. However, the APC appealed the decision, and the Court of Appeal subsequently overturned the ruling, declaring the suit incompetent and reinstating the elected officials.
Fagbemi criticized the resistance to the reinstated officials, attributing the crisis to “disgruntled elements” and calling on Governor Adeleke to restore order. He also warned that proceeding with a new local government election would violate the Constitution, as the reinstated officials’ tenure remains valid until October 2025.
“The planned election would be invalid and amount to an egregious breach of the Constitution, which Governor Adeleke has sworn to uphold,” Fagbemi stated, referencing a recent Supreme Court ruling affirming local government autonomy.
The AGF urged the governor to instruct the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSIEC) to halt the election, emphasizing the need for a lawful and orderly transition.