A socio-political organization, the Network of Civil Society Groups in Osun State, has described the continued occupation of local government secretariats by All Progressives Congress (APC) chairmen as tantamount to political banditry.
Speaking at a press conference in Osogbo on Monday, the group warned that democracy cannot survive where court judgments are mocked and constitutional order is disregarded.
The Convener of the group, Comrade Olanrewaju Stephen, called on relevant authorities to act urgently to uphold the sanctity of the rule of law.
He insisted that the APC chairmen and councillors, whose tenure allegedly expired on October 26, 2025, must vacate the council secretariats immediately or face lawful removal.
“The continued occupation of local government secretariats by tenure-expired and court-sacked officials is illegal, unconstitutional, and tantamount to political banditry,” Stephen stated.
He accused the officials of holding onto power based on an imaginary and expired tenure with the alleged protection of the Osun State Police Command.
Stephen recalled that in 2022, the Federal High Court nullified the local government elections conducted by the previous APC administration, a judgment he noted was affirmed by the Court of Appeal on June 13, 2025.
“The sacked chairmen and councillors refused to obey the subsisting court orders, falsely claiming a non-existent reinstatement order. Acting on this falsehood, they forcefully occupied local government council secretariats across the state,” he explained.
The activist further argued that even if the officials had a valid claim to office, their tenure legally expired in October.
He pointed out that the officials themselves admitted to this expiration by filing a tenure elongation suit (FHC/OS/CS/147/2025) at the Federal High Court, Osogbo.
“The tenure elongation suit is yet to be heard. No interim, interlocutory, or final order has been issued by any court permitting the elongation of their tenure. Therefore, their continued stay in the council secretariats is illegal, unconstitutional, and contemptuous,” Stephen added.
