FG Directs Adeleke to Halt Osun LG Election Over Court Ruling

The Federal Government has instructed Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, to suspend the local government elections scheduled for Saturday, February 22, 2025.

The directive, issued on Thursday evening by the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Lateef Fagbemi, is based on a recent Court of Appeal ruling that reinstated local government chairmen elected during the administration of former Governor Gboyega Oyetola. However, the Osun State Government maintains that the ruling has been misinterpreted by the opposition.

Background of the Dispute

The controversy dates back to November 25, 2022, when the Federal High Court in Osogbo nullified the election of local government chairmen and councillors conducted under Oyetola’s administration. Following his inauguration, Governor Adeleke issued an executive order removing the elected officials and replacing them with caretaker committees.

In response, the All Progressives Congress (APC) challenged the ruling. On February 10, 2025, the Court of Appeal in Akure overturned the lower court’s decision, declaring that the case which led to the officials’ removal was incompetent.

Despite the ruling, tensions have escalated between the state government and the reinstated APC officials, leading to a struggle for control over local government offices.

Attorney-General’s Position

In his statement, AGF Fagbemi clarified that the Court of Appeal’s judgment effectively nullified Governor Adeleke’s executive order, thereby reinstating the sacked chairmen and councillors until their tenure officially ends in October 2025.

He further noted that Governor Adeleke’s insistence on conducting a new local government election would not only be invalid but also a violation of the Constitution, as the reinstated officials still have an active term.

Fagbemi urged the governor to instruct the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSIEC) to cancel the planned election to avoid a constitutional crisis and ensure compliance with the recent Supreme Court ruling on local government autonomy.