Osun NULGE, Newly Elected LG Chairmen Slam Reinstated LG Chairmen, Egbetokun, Others With Lawsuits…APC Reacts

The newly elected local government chairmen and councilors in Osun State have filed a lawsuit in the state High Court, Ikirun Division.

The lawsuit is in connection with  the stand-off over the control of local governments in the state.

Recall that there has been a stand-off over the control of local governments in the state for close to a month now.

 What stood as the starting point for the stand-off was the ruling delivered by the Court of Appeal, Akure, Ondo State on February 10, 2025.

Recall that the interpretation of the court ruling had sparked controversy.

 The court ruling was on the outcome of the local government elections conducted by the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSIEC) on October 15, 2022, and its connection with the local government elections that was held on February 22,2025.

The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice,  Mr Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, had joined the fray a few days ago by urging the state government to support the restoration of the chairmen and councilors that were elected in 2022 to office.

During their inauguration ceremony in Osogbo, the newly elected chairmen were however told by Governor Ademola Adeleke to stay away from the local government secretariats  to avoid crisis and ensure peace in the state.

The reinstated local government chairmen and councilors had since then taken over the local government secretariats.

The newly elected chairmen and councilors are in their suit seeking an order of the court that will direct the 2022 LG chairmen and councilors to vacate the local government secretariats in the state forthwith ‘in line with the dictates of the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria’.

Joined in the suit are the Inspector-General of Police, the Commissioner of Police, Osun State Command, the Director-General, DSS and the Commandant General, NSCDC.

Hon Kolapo Alimi, Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, who disclosed this in a statement he issued in Osogbo and made available to Team@orientactualmags.com , noted that the matter has been adjourned until the 15th of April, 2025, for further hearing, while the court has granted the prayer for substituted service.

‘In the same vein, pursuant to the importance of maintaining law and order aimed at particularly insulating  their members from harm, which could brew up at any time while performing their official duties as local government employees, Osun State chapter of National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) has equally instituted a lawsuit in the Ilesha Division of Osun State High Court of Justice over the forceful invasion and illegal occupation of the local government secretariats’ he added.

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NULGE is seeking an order of the court  to direct the 2022 LG chairmen and councilors to vacate the local government secretariats as their forceful occupation, among other factors, constitute a threat to the entire local government workers.

‘The matter has equally been adjourned until the 17th of April, 2025 for hearing, with substituted service also granted accordingly.

In the meanwhile, Governor Ademola Adeleke, on behalf of the State Government and good people of Osun State, has again, sued for calm and restraint by all means, pending when the usurpers will be sent packing by the Court of law at all the local governments in the state’ the statement added.

Reacting to this development, the state APC in a statement issued in Osogbo and made available to Team@orientactualmags.com by the party’s  spokesman, Hon Kola Olabisi  accused the Governor Ademola Adeleke administration of engaging in abuse of court process by ‘treating with disdain the judgement of the court of appeal,Akure Division,Ondo State that reinstated the elected APC local government chairmen and councillors on the 10th of February, 2025’.

The statement also asserted that the party cannot consider the latest lawsuits as a source of worry cognizant that the state judiciary  is peopled with men and women of integrity.

‘We want to state unequivocally that we are unperturbed with the development as there are men and women of honour and integrity in the state judiciary who could not be infected by the glaring misnomer which has become the hallmark of the Governor Adeleke administration.

The reinstated local government chairmen and councillors have come to stay and the earlier Governor Adeleke learns how to co-govern with them, the better it would be for him as they were elected the same way the governor was elected’ the statement added -Team@orientactualmags.com  Do you have any information you wish to share with us? Do you want us to cover your event or programme? Kindly send SMS to 08035023079, 09094171980 or get in touch via orientactualmag@gmail.com.  Thank you