The Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has levelled serious accusations against Governor Ademola Adeleke led government, claiming it has deliberately engineered a series of legal crises to undermine legitimately elected local government officials.
Addressing journalists at the party’s secretariat in Osogbo on Monday, state APC Chairman Tajudeen Lawal urged the National Judicial Council (NJC) to intervene swiftly in the protracted dispute.
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Lawal traced the controversy to a Court of Appeal judgment delivered on 10 February 2025, which nullified a prior ruling that had sacked APC-elected chairmen and councillors.
He noted that the state government never appealed this decision, yet allegedly disregarded it, leading reinstated officials to resume duties on 17 February 2025.
The APC chairman alleged that this prompted coordinated attacks on the officials that same day, resulting in the killing of Hon Remi Abbas, then chairman of Irewole Local Government.
He further claimed the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) in Osun collaborated with the government to instruct workers to abstain from duties.
Lawal criticised the state’s conduct of a local government election on 22 February 2025 based on what he called inadequate notice despite an ongoing APC court challenge.
He accused the government of forum-shopping by filing multiple suits on the same matter in various courts, amounting to an abuse of process.
Specific allegations included a rapid ruling by an Osun High Court judge on 21 February 2025 directing fresh elections, and interim orders from the Federal High Court in May 2025 restricting fund releases.
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The APC highlighted subsequent reaffirmations: a Court of Appeal ruling on 13 June 2025 upholding the reinstatement, a Federal High Court dismissal of a state suit in October 2025, and a Supreme Court decision on 5 December 2025 striking out the government’s case while affirming the binding nature of the appellate reinstatement.
Despite these, Lawal said the government persists in filing new cases, threatening the rule of law.
He clarified that reinstated officials sought only clarification on tenure duration under state law, not extension, and accused the government of misleading the public on fund withholding.
Lawal praised security agencies and the media for their roles, while calling on the NJC to address petitions against involved judges to restore judicial confidence.
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