Court sacks Osun Local Government Chairmen, Councillors

By Taiwo Scholarstica

A Federal High Court sitting in Osogbo, Osun State, has removed the Local Government Chairmen and Councillors elected under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the October 15, 2022 local government elections.

The judgment was delivered on Monday by Justice Adefunmilola Demi-Ajayi in a suit filed by the affected officials seeking an extension of their tenure in office.

The claimants, who returned to the councils in February 2025 and had been administering the local governments since then, asked the court to determine when their tenure officially commenced after they were prevented from functioning despite taking the oath of office on October 25, 2022.

The suit was filed against Governor Ademola Adeleke, the Attorney General of the Federation, the Inspector-General of Police, the Osun State Attorney General and the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission.

In her ruling, Justice Demi-Ajayi dismissed the suit and declared that the three-year tenure of the chairmen and councillors ended in October 2025. The court held that the elected officials no longer had any legal basis to remain in office.

Reacting to the judgment, Governor Adeleke described the decision as being in line with constitutional provisions. He stated that the ruling confirmed that the tenure of the affected council officials had expired in October 2025. The Governor also called on the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, to direct the Osun State Police Command to stop providing security for the officials at council secretariats.

However, the Osun APC disagreed with the interpretation of the judgment. In a statement issued by its spokesperson, Kola Olabisi, the party argued that the ruling also invalidated the local government elections conducted by the state electoral commission in February 2025.

Meanwhile, counsel to the affected officials, Muhydeen Adeoye, disclosed that an appeal had already been filed at the Court of Appeal, Akure Division. He said six grounds of appeal were raised and that a motion had also been filed to prevent any interference with the chairmen and councillors pending the determination of the appeal.