The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State has officially withdrawn from the upcoming local government election scheduled for Saturday, February 22.
The party’s decision follows a controversial Court of Appeal ruling earlier this month that reinstated its sacked chairmen and councillors.
In a letter dated February 17, which was signed by the APC State Publicity Secretary, Alao Kamorudeen, and addressed to the Secretary of the State Independent Electoral Commission (OSIEC), the party announced its withdrawal from the electoral process, citing the implications of the February 10 judgment.
The Court of Appeal’s ruling in Akure nullified a previous Federal High Court decision and reinstated APC’s local government officials who had been sacked after the 2022 elections. According to the APC, the judgment clarified that the positions of the affected chairmen and councillors were no longer vacant.
The letter read in part: “Recall that the judgment of the Federal High Court in suit No. FHF/OS/CS/94/2022 was meritoriously nullified on February 10 by the Court of Appeal in Akure, in appeal No. CA/AK/270/2022 between APC and three others v. Peoples Democratic Party and others.”
It continued: “By the judgment, the elected officers have resumed office as allowed by the Appeal Court. The implication of the Court of Appeal judgment, as cited above, is that the seats are no longer vacant. In view of the foregoing, we hereby state that the APC and all its candidates have, by this letter, informed the commission of our withdrawal from the local government election scheduled for February 22.”
The APC further described the upcoming election as “unnecessary, superfluous, and unlawful” in light of the court’s decision.
The political crisis between the APC and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) escalated after the Court of Appeal ruling. The PDP, on one hand, argued that the judgment did not restore the sacked APC chairmen and councillors, while the APC insisted on their return to their positions in local government councils across the state.
The situation reached a boiling point earlier this week when both parties claimed control over local government secretariats. The ongoing confrontation has led to significant unrest, with the police confirming that at least six individuals were killed and several others injured during the clashes.
The political impasse has further deepened tensions in Osun State, with both the APC and PDP trading accusations over attempts to destabilise the local government structure.
As the election approaches, the withdrawal of the APC from the process raises questions about the stability of the state’s local government system and the potential for further unrest in the coming days.
