The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State has disputed claims by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and a coalition of civil society organizations that its chairmen are occupying local government council secretariats illegally. The controversy stems from a call by the Network of Civil Society Groups, which alleged that the tenure of the APC council chairmen expired on October 26, 2025. The network demanded their immediate exit from all local government offices, citing a Federal High Court ruling that nullified the 2022 local government elections conducted by the APC-led administration in Osun State.
The court’s decision, which was upheld on appeal, led to the sacking of all APC chairmen and councillors. However, the affected officials refused to vacate office, claiming a reinstatement order. The civil society group accused the Osun State Command of the Nigeria Police Force of providing protection for the allegedly illegal executives occupying council secretariats. The group’s convener, Stephen Olanrewaju, described the situation as unlawful and unconstitutional, urging security agencies to desist from actions that promote lawlessness.
The Osun PDP has aligned itself with the civil society position, with its Director of Media, Oladele Bamiji, stating that the APC chairmen have no tenure of office and should not be laying claim to any. Bamiji called on President Bola Tinubu to intervene, warning that the situation could undermine democratic governance. The Osun APC, however, has dismissed the allegations, with its spokesperson, Kola Olabisi, accusing the civil society group of lacking understanding of the legal issues surrounding local government administration in the state.
Olabisi insisted that the APC chairmen were reinstated by a Court of Appeal judgment delivered on February 10, 2025, which was not appealed against. A suit is currently pending before the Federal High Court in Osogbo to determine the tenure of the reinstated chairmen and whether fresh elections can be conducted during the subsistence of their tenure. The dispute highlights the complexities of local government administration in Osun State, with the APC and PDP locked in a legal battle over the legitimacy of the council chairmen. As the situation continues to unfold, it remains to be seen how the courts will ultimately resolve the issue and what implications this will have for democratic governance in the state.
