THE All Progressives Congress (APC) has advised President Tinubu-led Federal Government to suspend local government allocations to Osun State until further notice.
The party urged the government to allocate funds to only “democratically elected” and “judicially certified” local government officials in the state.
The APC said in a statement by its spokesperson, Felix Morka, that the local government election conducted by Governor Ademola Adeleke’s government on Saturday, February 22 was a “disgraceful sham, illegal and unconstitutional.”
The APC spokesperson described the poll as a “wanton disregard” for the rule of law and a subsisting appeal court judgment.
Morka said the APC respected the Federal High Court’s ruling, which favour Adeleke’s party – the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Consequently, the APC said it “exercised control, and diligently pursued an appeal against the court’s ruling.
The party questioned the governor’s alleged failure to comply with a valid court order reinstating the local government officials he removed.
The APC noted that Adeleke, having sworn to uphold the constitution, should adhere to the court’s decision.
The ICIR reported that the PDP won all 30 LGAs and 332 wards in the controversial election held on Saturday.
Adeleke inaugurated the newly elected local government chairpersons and councillors in the state on Sunday, February 23.
Swearing in the officials in Osogbo, the state capital, on Sunday, Adeleke reflected on the path to the election, affirming that the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission had adhered to all legal processes for the poll.
While acknowledging the legal controversies surrounding the election, Adeleke claimed that his administration acted within the ambit of the law.
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.
A reporter with the ICIR
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