JUST IN: Court Orders LG Elections to Hold in Osun, Mandates Security Presence

• The court has ordered the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSSIEC) to conduct local government elections to fill vacancies across the 30 local government areas
• The court declared the previous election conducted on October 15, 2022, null and void, affirming that the officials elected during that process had been sacked
• Security agencies, including the police, army, DSS, NSCDC, and Amotekun Corps, have been directed to ensure peace and order during the election scheduled for February 22, 2025

Legit.ng journalist Esther Odili has over two years of experience covering political parties and movements.

Osogbo, Osun state - An Osun State High Court sitting in Ilesa has ordered the Osun State Electoral Commission (OSSIEC) to conduct elections, to fill the vacant positions of local government chairmen and councilors across the 30 local governments in the state.

OSIEC told to conduct polls in 30 council areas

Oluomo Kolapo Alimi, Hon Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, revealed this in a statement shared on the state government's website on X, on Friday, February 21, 2025.

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In an enrollment order brought before Justice A. Aderigbigbe on Friday by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) against OSIEC and its chairman, Hashim Abioye, the court stated that there is vacancy in the 30 local government areas of the state as held by the judgement of the Federal High Court.

In a ruling delivered on Friday, Justice A.A. Aderibigbe who presided over the case, issued three orders as the court ordered that the claimants’ claim succeeds and that the reliefs and orders are granted.

The court found that the election conducted by the first defendant on 15th October 2022, had been invalidated, nullified and voided, and the purported elected officials produced by the purported election had been sacked by the Federal High Court in FHC/CS/OS/103/2022; ACTION PEOPLES PARTY (APP) VS. INDEPENDENT NATIONAL ELECTORAL COMMISSION (INEC) & Ors, delivered on the 30th November 2022 and as confirmed by the decision of the Court of Appeal in Appeal No: CA/AK/226M/2024; ALLIED PEOPLE MOVEMENT (APM) & Ors VS. ACTION PEOPLES PARTY (APP) & ORS delivered on January 13, 2025, that vacancy exists in the political administration of local councils in the State, thereby, consequently upholding the prayers of the PDP in the suit.

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Breaking: FG asks Governor Adeleke to suspend LG election, gives reason

The court further directed and compelled all the security agencies, comprising the Nigeria Police, the Nigeria Army, the Department of State Security Services (DSS), the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC), the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), the Amotekun Corps, the Vigilante group etc in the state to provide adequate security during and after the election.

Gov Adeleke reacts to court judgement on LG polls

Reacting, the Attorney General of the state, Hon Wole Jimi Bada Esq at a press briefing held at the Government House in Osogbo, said the state government led by Governor Ademola Adeleke, has received the court judgement and has resolved to obey the rulings.

The Attorney General, added that the Adeleke administration is a law abiding one posited that the judgment is binding.

He announced that “the state government appealed to Osun voters to come out en masse tomorrow, Saturday, February 22, to exercise their voting rights.

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"Go to hell": Nigerians react as APC withdraws from Osun LG election

“The judgement is explicit enough and I call on all stakeholders to participate in the elections. We must remain peaceful as we exercise our voting rights in compliance with the court rulings,” the Attorney General told the media.

Read more about LG crisis here:

• Breaking: FG asks Governor Adeleke to suspend LG election, gives reason
• Gov Adeleke neglects FG, orders local government to hold election tomorrow
• Breaking: APC withdraws from Osun LG poll, reasons, other details emerge

Osun LGA: Adeleke accuses IGP Of being lawless

Previously, Legit.ng reported that Osun state Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has accused the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, of enabling illegality in the state’s local government crisis.

Adeleke made this claim on Tuesday, February 18, while meeting with a delegation of British diplomats led by Deputy High Commissioner Jonny Baxter.

This was contained in a statement signed by Mallam Olawale Rasheed, spokesperson to the Osun State Governor, and shared via X.

Source: Legit.ng