OSUN State Governor Ademola Adeleke has inaugurated the newly elected local government chairpersons and councillors in the state.
Swearing in the officials in Osogbo, the state capital, on Sunday, February 23, the governor described the occasion as a major milestone in the state’s democratic process. He said the event proved that the election conducted on Saturday, February 22, followed due process.
Adeleke charged the officials to prioritise good governance while cautioning against seizing council secretariats in the state by force.
He also appreciated President Bola Tinubu “for resisting efforts by certain groups to destabilise” the state.
The governor reflected on the path to the local government election, affirming that the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission had adhered to all legal processes for the poll.
“The state electoral body had issued due notice of election a year ago. I know the commission had complied with all extant rules and procedures which led to the emergence of new local government chairmen and councillors,” he stated.
While acknowledging the legal controversies surrounding the election, Adeleke affirmed that his administration acted within the ambit of the law.
“It is, however, a thing of joy that the facts are out in the public domain, and we are satisfied that we are on the side of the law within the context of the rule of law and the constitution,” he added.
The governor also appreciated the people of the state for their support. He assured them that his administration would remain committed to their welfare.
Adeleke commended OSIEC, security agencies, and state officials for ensuring the success of the election.
The governor strongly advised the newly elected chairmen and councillors to avoid confrontation at local government secretariats, citing an ongoing legal process to resolve the leadership crisis.
“I urge you and your councillors to please stay away from the council secretariats to avoid any clash with those whom the police had aided to forcefully occupy the local government secretariats,” Adeleke cautioned.
He referenced an Osun State High Court ruling that had affirmed vacancies in both chairmanship and councillorship positions before the election on February 22. He assured that his administration would rely on the judiciary to remove “those illegally occupying the secretariats.”
Meanwhile, the chairman of the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission, Hashim Abioye, declared 30 chairmanship candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) the election winners. The PDP also cleared all 332 councillor seats in the state.
Reacting to the declaration, the director of media of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, Kola Olabisi, alleged that Abioye manufactured the results, as according to him, no election was held in the state.
Olabisi, during an interview with the PUNCH, said OSSIEC had made the state an object of ridicule.
He said, “Where did he get the results from? The whole world knew the election did not take place in Osun today. Yet OSSIEC, hell-bent on making Osun an object of derision among the comity of states in the country, concocted results.
“It is an illegality that will not stand. No vacancies in council areas in the state. The whole world knew the election did not hold, yet some people wrote results inside Osun Government House and announced them to the world. Nigeria is not a Banana Republic. The constitution will take care of the charade and it won’t stand.”
Background to the story
The ICIR reported that the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, had warned the state governor against proceeding with the election.
The AGF told Adeleke to ask the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSIEC) to suspend the election.
In a statement he signed on Thursday, February 20, he warned that conducting the poll would be invalid and unconstitutional.
This, according to him, is because the Court of Appeal, Akure Division, recently ruled that the tenure of the sacked council chairpersons and counsellors elected in 2022 (before Adeleke assumed power) was still running.
The AGF stated that his attention was drawn to Adeleke’s public outcry regarding the Court of Appeal’s judgment in Akure.
He said the judgment, delivered on February 10, 2025, in Appeal No. CA/AK/272/2022, nullified the Federal High Court’s judgment in Osogbo, which was delivered on November 25, 2022, against those elected in 2022.
Fagbemi explained that the controversy surrounding the local government elections in the state began during the tenure of former Governor Adegboyega Oyetola. He said elections were held in all local governments in the state, and the winners were sworn in.
Fagbemi recalled that just before Adeleke’s swearing-in, the Federal High Court in Osogbo nullified the poll that brought the chairpersons into office.
He added that in response, Adeleke issued an executive order to remove the elected officials and replaced them with caretaker appointees shortly after assuming office.
Rsponding, Adeleke vowed that his administration would proceed with the latest election, despite the Federal Government’s warning.
Nanji is an investigative journalist with the ICIR. She has years of experience in reporting and broadcasting human angle stories, gender inequalities, minority stories, and human rights issues.