The Court of Appeal sitting in Akure has reportedly dismissed an application by the All Progressives Congress (APC) seeking to relist its appeal against a Federal High Court judgment that nullified the October 15, 2022, local government elections in Osun State.
According to New Daily Prime, the Federal High Court in Osogbo had earlier declared the controversial elections through which APC chairmen were elected null and void.
Although the APC has claimed that a subsequent Appeal Court ruling reinstated the sacked chairmen, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has consistently refuted this interpretation.
Delivering the lead judgement on Friday, Justice Peter Obiorah, speaking for a unanimous panel, strongly criticised the APC for misrepresenting the court’s earlier ruling of 10 February 2025.
He clarified that the appellate court had never ordered the reinstatement of the dismissed APC council officials.
“The judiciary must not be treated as an extension of any political organisation,” the judge stated, warning against the distortion of court rulings for partisan advantage.
The court emphasised that the APC’s attempt to revive its appeal lacked merit, noting that the party failed to prosecute the case within the prescribed legal timeframe.
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“Equity aids the vigilant, not the indolent,” the court held, describing the APC’s predicament as “a self-inflicted injury.”
Justice Obiorah noted that despite knowing their tenure was limited to three years, the APC failed to act promptly and neglected to compile the necessary records. He questioned the party’s sincerity, highlighting inconsistencies in their efforts to revive the appeal long after its dismissal on 13 January 2025.
“The sudden attempt to resurrect this appeal… will only lead to confusion,” he said, firmly rejecting what he called an attempt to draw the court into sitting on a matter already adjudicated.
The judges concluded that no good cause had been shown to justify the application and accordingly dismissed it.
As of the time of reporting, the Certified True Copy of the judgment had yet to be released.
