Osun LG: APC, PDP Bicker on Status quo as PDP Sends Notable Message to Presidency

• Tensions have deepened between the APC and PDP in Osun State over conflicting interpretations of a February 2025 Court of Appeal ruling on local government leadership
• While APC insists the court reinstated its previously sacked chairmen, the PDP argues the judgment did not expressly restore them and warns against attempts to usurp power through backdoor tactics
• Both parties continue to trade accusations as the legal and political dispute awaits further judicial clarification

The political gladiators in Osun State, especially, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have engaged each other on the unsettled Local Government imbroglio following the Court of Appeal ruling in February 2025.

The Court of Appeal ruling was interpreted differently by both APC and PDP.

While APC maintains that the court ruled that its chairmen elected in 2022 were “reinstated” by the Appeal Court sitting in Akure, PDP insists that there was no express statement in the judgment that returned the sacked APC elected chairmen.

The chairmen had been sacked as soon as Governor Adeleke took over from his predecessor, Adegboyega Oyetola in November 2022, paving the way for his party, the PDP, to organise a fresh local government election in February 2025 against all odds.

Osun governor obstructing justice - APC

Speaking with Legit.ng Correspondent, the National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress, Senator Ajibola Basiru, who believed that the court had reinstated the APC local government chairmen, said it was surprising that Governor Ademola Adeleke is obstructing the implementation of the ruling.

“It is quite unfortunate that the Adeleke-led government decided not to respect the rule of law. As we know, the Court of Appeal in Akure set aside the judgment by which the Local Government chairmen were sent away.

Then one expects any government that respects the rule of law to obey that.”

Local Government funds will be released

The APC National Secretary told Legit.ng that full life will return to the local government secretariats in Osun State as efforts are going on to pay their money.

“And of course, we are taking steps to ensure that the funds for the Local government are sent to the elected Local government officials. “Some of them have already started providing skeletal service in the Local government.”

APC knocks NULGE

Following the decision of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) to take the side with the ruling party in Osun State, by asking the local government workers to stay away from the councils, the APC believed such partisan is strange and unacceptable in unionism.

Basiru asserted:

“And we also find it very abysmal for trade unionists to become partisan to take side with the government of the day and be aware of the fact that there will be a change of power, and one of the rules of public service is impartiality and non-partisanship.

“So, we urge the workers to see the reason and the closest government to the people is that of the grassroots, but we are working as a party to ensure the rule of law thrives as far as the issue of Local government is concerned.

PDP accuses APC of seeking power through violence

Meanwhile, the PDP has accused the APC of seeking control of local government in Osun State through unauthorised means.

Speaking with Legit.ng reporter, the PDP’s Director of Media, Oladele Bamiji said the APC was only interested to cause mahem in the name of wanting to take over the local government administration in Osun State.

“The motive behind Governor Ademola Adeleke asking the (PDP) elected chairmen to operate from home is to avoid violence.

The Governor is a peace-loving man who detests bloodshed. The goal of our brothers in APC is to cause chaos and mayhem. But the Governor wants to avoid chaos. That is why he asked the elected chairmen to work from home.”

Mr Bamiji said there are cases instituted by some interested parties in the State High Court and Federal High Court, both in Osogbo, which he believed people await pronouncement, noting that serving the people should not be with the consent of the people.

He explained that:

“If it is about serving the people, we should all abide by the verdict of the people.

“The APC are just too desperate to obstruct the cause of governance in the state, basking in the euphoria that they are ones at the Federal, dropping the name of the President to do certain things which I believe will be brought to rest finally through the pronouncement of the court”

Court ruling silent on victor

The PDP’s spokesperson, Mr Bamiji, alleged that the APC was only being mischievous to claim that their sacked chairmen were reinstated.

“Without being a lawyer, there are certain rulings of the court that are not ambiguous for anyone who is not mischievous.

“In the Appeal Court ruling, which is being taken around and which the APC is relying on that they have been reinstated, there is never an express statement of the judgment that reinstated the Ye or No Chairmen.

If the court wanted to reinstate them, it will be expressly stated.

“Don’t forget that there had been a judgement on the same case earlier in January in which the APC’s appeal on the matter was unambiguously dismissed.

“I am not a lawyer, I don’t know if it is possible for the same court to now come up in February to overrule itself.”

"I am happy that they (the APC) have gone to the same court for interpretation. If they knew that they were actually reinstated, they would have gone to the court to ask the court to punish those who are blocking whatever they got from the court.

"But, they know they cannot ask the court for that because they were never reinstated in the first instance; they are just dropping the name of the President.

"They are using the police and the Attorney General of the Federation to cause confusion in the land."

PDP cautions President Tinubu, APC

The PDP chieftain goes emotional by warning the ruling APC and the President to tread softly as they are in power just for a moment.

“The President cannot be in power forever, and the APC cannot be in power forever, but there are certain wrongs that must be righted by the court, and that is what we await the court to do now.

Not just because of what we have in our hands in Osun State, but for posterity's sake and the political well-being of our dear nation.

Osun Gov performs at Iyabo Ojo daughter's wedding

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, turned heads and lit up the stage at the glamorous wedding ceremony of Priscilla Ojo, daughter of Nollywood actress Iyabo Ojo, and Tanzanian music sensation Juma Jux.

The colourful event, held at the upscale Five Palms venue in Oniru, Lagos, on Saturday, drew an elite crowd of celebrities and dignitaries - but it was Adeleke’s performance that had guests buzzing.

Source: Legit.ng