Osun Govt, APC in War of Words Over Appeal Court Verdict on LG Poll

A fresh ruling by the Court of Appeal in Akure has reignited a legal and political tussle between the Osun State Government and the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) over the legality of the October 15, 2022, local government election.

The appellate court on Friday dismissed the APC’s application to relist a previously struck-out appeal that challenged a Federal High Court judgment nullifying the controversial LG polls. The original suit, filed by the All Peoples Party against the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission, contested the legitimacy of the elections, which featured only APC candidates.

Delivering judgment virtually, Justice Peter Obiorah ruled that reinstating the abandoned appeal would result in legal confusion and concluded that the APC’s application lacked merit. The appeal had earlier been struck out on January 13, 2025, for lack of diligent prosecution.

Following the ruling, Osun State Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, said the judgment upheld the Federal High Court’s earlier decision, affirming that the sacked chairmen and councillors were no longer in office.

“This confirms that the Federal High Court’s nullification of the 2022 LG election stands. The APC’s attempt to relist the appeal has failed,” Alimi stated, accusing the opposition party of dragging the state into a needless political crisis that led to casualties and destruction.

However, the APC countered this interpretation. In a statement by its spokesperson, Kola Olabisi, the party insisted that Friday’s ruling only affected an abandoned appeal and did not impact the February 10, 2025, Court of Appeal ruling which, according to them, reinstated the dismissed LG officials.

“That ruling remains valid and binding,” Olabisi said. “Only the Supreme Court can reverse it, and there is no appeal pending before it. The PDP-led government is misleading the public.”

He urged residents to disregard what he called “deliberate misinformation” and maintained that the APC’s elected officials are still lawfully in office, as per the previous appellate court decision.

The latest development has deepened legal uncertainties over the control of local governments in Osun, with both sides claiming legitimacy based on separate interpretations of court decisions.