By Alade Adisa
The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) are set for a showdown in Osun State on Saturday over the conduct of the local government election.
This follows a ruling by the Osun State High Court in Osogbo on Friday afternoon, granting approval for the election to proceed.
The PDP, the ruling party in the state, is determined to contest the election, while the APC is relying on a directive from Abuja stating that no such election should be held at this time.
This development comes against the backdrop of a court order mandating the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSIEC) to proceed with the local government election.
In an enrolment order brought before Justice A. Aderibigbe on Friday by the PDP against OSIEC and its Chairman, Hashim Abioye, the court ruled that vacancies exist in all 30 local government areas of the state, as affirmed by a Federal High Court ruling.
The court found that the local government election conducted on October 15, 2022, by the 1st Defendant (OSIEC) had been invalidated, nullified, and voided, rendering the purportedly elected officials illegitimate. The Federal High Court in case FHC/CS/OS/103/2022 (Action Peoples Party vs. INEC & Others) had earlier ruled on November 30, 2022, that the election was unlawful. This decision was further upheld by the Court of Appeal in Appeal No: CA/AK/226M/2024 (Allied Peoples Movement vs. Action Peoples Party & Others), delivered on January 13, 2025.
Consequently, the court upheld the PDP’s prayers, affirming that vacancies indeed exist in Osun State’s local councils and allowing the election to proceed.
Additionally, the court ordered security agencies, including the Nigeria Police Force, Nigerian Army, Department of State Services (DSS), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Amotekun Corps, and local vigilante groups, to provide adequate security before, during, and after the election.
Meanwhile, the APC is relying on the pronouncement of the Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), who declared that no local government election should take place because there are no vacancies in the local councils until October 2025.
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Political observers fear that these conflicting directives could lead to violent clashes in the state.
Recently, nine people were killed when sacked local government chairmen attempted to forcibly reclaim their offices in Osun State.
The political tension is also tied to the 2026 governorship election, as various factions begin jostling for power.
Former Governor Adegboyega Oyetola, now Minister of Blue Economy, had conducted local government elections in October 2022, just one month before leaving office after losing the governorship election to Senator Ademola Adeleke.
However, a Federal High Court later nullified the election, ruling that it was not conducted in accordance with relevant electoral laws.
Following that ruling, Governor Adeleke appointed caretaker chairmen for the councils, paving the way for fresh elections to be conducted.
The battle for Osun State’s local government leadership is far from over, and the coming days will determine the direction of the state’s political landscape.
