Osun: APC LG Chairmen using delay tactics to frustrate court proceedings- Alimi
The Osun State Government has accused some local government chairmen elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) of deliberately frustrating court proceedings in a bid to prolong their tenure.
In a press statement issued on Wednesday, the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, alleged that the affected chairmen had resorted to repeated delay tactics in a case before the Federal High Court, where they are seeking to legitimise what the government described as an already voided tenure.
Alimi said the chairmen continued to occupy local government secretariats beyond the expiration of their “purported tenure” in October 2025 before approaching the court for relief. He claimed that instead of pursuing the case diligently, they initially failed to serve key defendants, thereby stalling the commencement of proceedings.
According to the commissioner, the situation prompted the intervention of the Osun State Governor and the Attorney-General, who are defendants in the suit, to ensure proper service and allow the case to proceed.
He further alleged that the plaintiffs repeatedly caused adjournments by absenting themselves from court, often citing engagements in other courts. The commissioner added that the introduction of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) through a joinder application also disrupted proceedings earlier scheduled for March 4, 2026.
Alimi noted that despite a warning from the court directing all parties to be prepared for a definite hearing on March 18, the plaintiffs allegedly returned with fresh applications, which he described as frivolous and aimed at further delaying the matter.
He said the applications included a request to introduce oral evidence over what they termed “fundamental contradictions” in the suit.
“The court was not misled,” Alimi stated, adding that all such applications were dismissed for lacking merit and being clear attempts to stall proceedings.
He disclosed that the court eventually heard the originating summons alongside all pending applications and adjourned the matter until May 21, 2026, for judgment.
