The Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) in Nigeria and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), has warned the Osun State Government against proceeding with its scheduled local government elections, arguing that the exercise would be unconstitutional.
Fagbemi contended that the tenure of the recently reinstated local government chairmen, elected under the former administration of Governor Adegboyega Oyetola, remains valid until October 2025, as upheld by a Court of Appeal ruling on February 10. He described any attempt to hold fresh elections as an “egregious breach of the Constitution” and urged Governor Ademola Adeleke to reconsider.
Despite the warning, Governor Adeleke has vowed that the elections will go ahead as planned. In a statewide broadcast, he assured residents that normalcy had returned and urged all political actors to abide by the rule of law. The opposition All Progressives Congress (APC), however, has distanced itself from the election, citing the recent court ruling that reinstated its chairmen.
The controversy stems from a legal battle over the leadership of Osun’s local councils. The chairmen, elected during Oyetola’s tenure, were removed by Adeleke through an executive order following a Federal High Court ruling in November 2022. However, the Court of Appeal overturned the lower court’s decision earlier this month, effectively restoring the ousted officials.
The AGF, in a strongly worded statement, urged Adeleke to uphold the rule of law and prevent further unrest in the state. His warning comes in the wake of violent clashes on Monday, which resulted in six deaths as the reinstated chairmen attempted to resume office in at least 15 local government areas.
Despite the legal uncertainties, the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSIEC) insists that the elections will proceed, arguing that the 2022 Federal High Court judgment that nullified the APC-led council polls remains valid.
Meanwhile, the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has dismissed allegations by the Osun PDP Chairman, Sunday Bisi, that he is plotting to assassinate Governor Adeleke. Egbetokun described the claims as baseless and vowed to challenge any attempt to distort facts regarding the security situation in the state.
