The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State has officially withdrawn from the local government elections scheduled for Saturday, February 22.
In a letter dated February 17 and signed by the party’s state Publicity Secretary, Alao Kamorudeen, the APC informed the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSSIEC) of its decision. The withdrawal follows the February 10 judgment of the Court of Appeal in Akure, which reinstated APC-elected chairmen and councillors previously removed from office.
The letter stated: “Recall that the judgment of the Federal High Court in suit No. FHF/OS/CS/94/2022 was meritoriously nullified on Feb. 10 by the Court of Appeal in Akure, in appeal No. CA/AK/270/2022 between APC and 3 others v. the Peoples Democratic Party and others.”
According to the APC, the implication of the Court of Appeal ruling is that “the elected officers have resumed offices as allowed by the Appeal Court,” making the planned election unnecessary. The letter further emphasized: “The implication of the Court of Appeal judgment as cited above is that the seats are no longer vacant.”
“In view of the foregoing, we hereby state that APC and all its candidates have by this letter informed the commission that we withdraw from the local government election scheduled for Feb. 22, same as it becomes unnecessary, superfluous, and unlawful with the development,” the party added.
The ruling has sparked fresh controversy between the APC and the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). While the PDP insists that the court did not reinstate the sacked APC chairmen and councillors, the APC maintains that its officials have legally resumed office.
The disagreement escalated into violent clashes earlier in the week, as both parties sought control over local government secretariats across the state. The police confirmed that at least six people lost their lives in the conflict, with several others injured.
