Osun LG crisis: APC reinstated officials seek tenure elongation

…Drags FG, IGP, Adeleke to court

By Shina Abubakar, Osogbo

As situation rocking Local Government Councils successful Osun State lingers, elected officials connected the level of the All Progressives Congress, APC, person sought tenure elongation, dragging the Federal Government and Governor Ademola Adeleke earlier a Federal High Court successful the state.

The APC officials, successful an originating summon obtained by Vanguard connected Friday, urged the tribunal to state that their tenure which ought to person expired October this twelvemonth beryllium extended till February 2028.

It would beryllium recalled that APC officials were elected successful October 2022 but Governor Ademola Adeleke sacked them aft a national tribunal declared the predetermination arsenic illegal.

However, successful February 2025, the Court of Appeal reinstated them to bureau successful a verdict. Amid the verdict, PDP members were besides sworn successful arsenic assembly executives aft the February 22 section authorities elections successful the state.

Since February 2025, APC and PDP person been laying assertion to the power of the council, starring the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees, NULGE, to wantonness enactment and the councils allocation withheld.

However, the reinstated APC officials, originating summon filed by Barrister Muhideen Adeoye connected behalf of Saheed Onibonokuta and 7 different section Council Chairmen, sought for elongation of tenure till February 19, 2028.

They filed the suit FHC/OS/CS/147/2025 against Attorney General of the Federation, the Inspector General of Police, Osun State Governor, the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Osun State Independent Electoral Commission(OSIEC) and Osun State House of Assembly.

They prayed the tribunal to find six issues among which are tenure of office, swearing successful of the PDP assembly executives among others.

It was stated that successful presumption of Sections 6(6)(b) and 7 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended); Section 91 of the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission Law, 2022; Sections 3(2), 9, 10 and 28 of the Local Government (Administration) Law, Cap. 72A, Laws of Osun State, the Claimants’ tenure of bureau ought to commence upon inauguration of bureau and aft taking their seats arsenic democratically elected members of the Local Government Councils successful Osun State.

“Upon a combined mentation of Section 91 the Claimants, who were not fixed the accidental to instrumentality their archetypal sitting arsenic democratically elected members of the assorted Local Government Councils successful Osun State anterior to 9th February, 2025 tin not beryllium compelled to vacate bureau connected the 17th time of October, 2025 oregon connected immoderate different day successful October 2025.

“In presumption of Sections 24 and 91 of the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission Law 2022; Sections 9, 10 and 28 of the Local Government (Administration) Law, Cap. 72A, Laws of Osun State, the 6th Defendant could person validly issued a announcement of polls, conducted elections into the assorted section authorities councils successful Osun State connected the 22nd time of February, 2025 and sworn successful different acceptable of Council members during the subsistence of the tenure of bureau of the Claimants thereby attempting to deprive the Claimants of their rights to implicit their tenure.”

The claimants sought for 8 reliefs for declaration that “OSIEC cannot validly contented a announcement of polls, behaviour elections into the councils and curse successful different acceptable of members during thesubsistence of the tenure of office; each steps taken and being taken by the 3th, 4th, 5th and 6th Defendants from the 22nd time of February 2025 and peculiarly successful August, 2025 till date, to unit into the Local Government Councils successful Osun State immoderate individuals arsenic members of the Councils during the subsistence of the tenure of bureau of the Claimants is illegal, unlawful, invalid, unconstitutional, null and void.”

They besides urged the tribunal that upon a due mentation by AGF(1st Defendant) prescribing and curtailing the tenure of bureau of the Claimants to extremity successful October, 2025 is ultra vires his office, unconstitutional, illegal, null and void lone to the grade of his curtailing the tenure of bureau of the Claimants till October, 2025.

They besides urged the tribunal to restrain the Governor Ademola Adeleke, Attorney-General of the Osun State, House of Assembly and OSIEC from taking immoderate measurement oregon enactment to forcefully remove, oust oregon unit the claimants retired of their offices anytime successful October, 2025 oregon thereafter till the 19th time of February, 2...