Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has declared that the recent Supreme Court ruling on the Rivers State local government election has reaffirmed the illegality of the local government elections conducted by the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun.
Election Violated Electoral Act, Says Adeleke
Addressing the Council of Traditional Rulers at the Finance Building in Abere, Osogbo, Adeleke emphasized that the Supreme Court judgment validates the nullification of the APC-backed local government administration, as the election was conducted in violation of the Electoral Act.
“The Supreme Court ruling on Rivers local government election has clearly confirmed that the Osun Yes/No election was conducted in violation of the electoral act and therefore remains null and void,” Adeleke stated.
APC-Backed Chairmen Have No Legal Standing
The governor further explained that a Federal High Court had already removed the APC-backed local government chairmen from office in October 2022, before he assumed office in November of the same year. He stressed that the latest Supreme Court ruling affirms that those unlawfully elected cannot continue to occupy the local government secretariats.
Adeleke also dismissed claims that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had grounds to challenge the Appeal Court’s decision at the Supreme Court, stating that the ruling did not contain any consequential order.
Traditional Rulers Call for Peace
In response, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, speaking on behalf of the Council of Traditional Rulers, assured the governor that the royal council remains committed to peace and stability in the state.
“We are also not happy with the LG crisis in the state. We abhor violence, and Osun is a peaceful state, a status that must be maintained irrespective of the issues in contention,” Ogunwusi said.
Tensions Rise as Legal Battle Continues
The Supreme Court ruling has further intensified the local government dispute in Osun, setting the stage for possible legal and political confrontations in the days ahead.
