The ongoing crisis in Osun State’s local government administration has reignited tensions between the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) following a meeting with the Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN).
For nearly six weeks, operations at the 30 local government areas and the area office have been at a standstill after the state chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) instructed workers to stay off duty due to anticipated unrest.
At the core of the dispute is the enforcement of a ruling by the Court of Appeal, Akure Division, which upheld the appeal filed by APC-backed officials elected during the October 15, 2022 local government elections. These officials were previously dismissed by the Federal High Court in Osogbo on November 25, 2022.
Although the APC-backed chairmen and councilors have resumed office, civil servants in the local government secretariats have refused to return to work.
In a statement on Thursday, Osun APC spokesperson Kola Olabisi claimed that a delegation sent by Governor Ademola Adeleke to meet with the Attorney General of the Federation to present the state’s case had been unsuccessful. Olabisi alleged that the federal government reaffirmed the legal standing of the APC-elected officials.
The statement read: “It was reported that last week, Governor Adeleke sent a senior delegation, led by one of his top political appointees, to meet with the Attorney General of the Federation and formally brief him about the results of the purported local government council elections held on February 22, 2025, despite legal advice against the exercise. The meeting’s outcome, according to reports, has raised concerns within the Adeleke administration, which has been controlling local government funds without duly elected officials in place.”
The APC accused Adeleke of deceiving PDP supporters and urged him to acknowledge that the local government administration was now firmly in the hands of elected APC officials.
However, Osun PDP Chairman Sunday Bisi quickly rejected these claims, labeling them as propaganda and accusing the APC of unlawfully taking control of local councils. Bisi insisted the APC was misleading the public and refusing to accept that its control of the councils was no longer sustainable.
“At the start of this crisis, we warned the public about the illegal actions being carried out by the Osun APC. No court reinstated their sacked officials, as they falsely claimed. Now, they are back at the Court of Appeal, desperately attempting to revive an appeal that had already affirmed the annulment of the October 15, 2022 local government election,” Bisi said.
He continued, “Instead of making baseless claims, the APC should answer this simple question—if the judgment that removed its officials was invalid, why is it back in court trying to challenge it? We are also concerned that the APC continues to misuse the name of the Attorney General of the Federation to justify its assault on the judiciary by disregarding an existing court ruling. Contrary to the APC’s claims, the documents presented to the AGF, including judgments nullifying the 2022 elections and ordering OSSIEC to conduct fresh polls in February 2025, are publicly available.”
As the political standoff continues, local government workers remain stuck in the middle, with no clear resolution in sight.