A fresh political storm is brewing in Osun State as the Peoples Democratic Party and the All Progressives Congress locked horns on Monday over the control of local government council secretariats across the state.
The dispute was triggered by allegations from a coalition of civil society organisations, operating under the Network of Civil Society Groups, which accused APC-backed council chairmen of illegally occupying council offices despite the expiration of their tenure.
Addressing journalists in Osogbo, the network’s convener, Stephen Olanrewaju, alleged that the tenure of the APC chairmen elapsed on October 26, 2025, insisting that their continued presence in the secretariats was unlawful.
He further accused the Osun State Command of the Nigeria Police Force of providing cover for what he described as “illegal executives”, calling for the immediate withdrawal of police personnel from all council offices.
According to Olanrewaju, the lingering local government crisis dates back to February 2025 and is rooted in unresolved legal battles over council administration.
He recalled that a Federal High Court, in 2022, nullified the local government elections conducted under the previous APC administration in the state and sacked all chairmen and councillors elected in that exercise for failing to comply with legal requirements.
“That judgment was later affirmed by the Court of Appeal on June 13, 2025, by a panel comprising Justices Oyebisi Folayemi Omoleye, Peter Obiorah and Hadiza Rabiu Shagari,” Olanrewaju said.
He alleged that despite the rulings, the sacked officials refused to vacate office, claiming a reinstatement order which, he maintained, did not exist.
“Acting on this falsehood, they forcefully occupied local government council secretariats across the state with armed police protection,” he added, describing the development as illegal and unconstitutional.
The PDP aligned itself with the civil society position, with the party’s Director of Media in Osun, Oladele Bamiji, insisting that the APC chairmen had no valid tenure.
“They were sacked by the court and yet they have refused to leave the secretariats. More troubling is that the Osun Police Command is aiding these APC chairmen,” Bamiji said.
He called on President Bola Tinubu to intervene, warning that the situation, if left unchecked, could undermine democratic governance and public order.
However, the APC dismissed the allegations as misleading. The party’s spokesperson in the state, Kola Olabisi, accused the civil society group and the PDP of misrepresenting the legal position.
Olabisi maintained that the APC chairmen were lawfully reinstated by a Court of Appeal judgment delivered on February 10, 2025, which he said was not appealed against.
He added that a suit is currently before the Federal High Court in Osogbo to determine the subsisting tenure of the reinstated chairmen and whether fresh local government elections can be conducted.
