.png)
5 days ago
4
News
September 13, 2025 by Toba Adedeji, Osogbo
Amid the ongoing local government crisis in Osun State, the reinstated council chairmen of All Progressives Congress(APC) have dragged Federal Government, Inspector General of Police, Osun State Government and others to court to seek for elongation of tenure ahead of expiration of October 2025 tenure.
The council chairmen were elected into office in October 2022, but were sacked by Governor Ademola Adeleke after a Federal Court declared the election as illegal. However, in February 2025, the Court of Appeal reinstated them to office while PDP members were also sworn in as council executives after February 22nd LG poll in the state.
Since February 2025, APC and PDP have been laying claim on the control of the council, despite that members of Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) have been on strike and council allocations withheld.
The reinstated APC council executives whose tenure will expire in October, 2025 in an originating summon filed by Barrister Muhideen Adeoye on behalf of Saheed Onibonokuta and seven other local council chairmen, which was made available to The Nation sought for extension of their tenure to February 19th 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.
The reinstated chairmen prayed the court to determine six issues among which are tenure of office, swearing in of the PDP council executives among others.
Read Also: FG revokes license of Oritsemeyin rig
The claimants sought for eight reliefs for declaration that OSIEC cannot validly issue a notice of polls, conduct elections into the councils and swear in another set of members during the subsistence of the tenure of office; all steps taken and being taken by the 3th, 4th, 5th and 6th Defendants from the 22nd day of February 2025 and particularly in August, 2025 till date, to force into the Local Government Councils in Osun State some individuals as members of the Councils during the subsistence of the tenure of office of the Claimants is illegal, unlawful, invalid, unconstitutional, null and void.”
They also urged the court that upon a proper interpretation by AGF(1st Defendant) prescribing and curtailing the tenure of office of the Claimants to end in October, 2025 is ultra vires his office, unconstitutional, illegal, null and void only to the extent of his curtailing the tenure of office of the Claimants till October, 2025.
They prayed the court to mandate AGF and IGP to provide needed security to the Claimants to preserve, protect and enforce their constitutionally and statutorily guaranteed tenure of office till the 19th day of February, 2028 when their three-year tenure will expire by effluxion of time.
They prayed the court to restrain the Governor Ademola Adeleke, Attorney-General of the Osun State, House of Assembly and OSIEC from taking any step or act to forcefully remove, oust or force the Claimants out of their offices anytime in October, 2025 or thereafter till the 19th day of February, 2028 in their various Local Government Councils.
English (US)