Osun: Court grants OSSIEC order to conduct LG election, affirms vacancies in Councils
By Deborah Oladejo, Osogbo
The Osun State High Court sitting in Ilesa on Friday granted the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSSIEC) an order to conduct elections across local governments in the state.
Delivering judgment in a suit brought by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Justice A.A. Aderibigbe declared that vacancies exist across the 30 Local Government Areas of the state.
The Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Hon. Oluwole Jimi Bada, who read the court order to journalists in Osogbo, said the ruling came as OSSIEC had already concluded arrangements for the local government election scheduled for Saturday, February 22, 2025.
According to the court order read by Bada, “The order granted directs, mandates, and compels the defendants to fill the vacancies across the 30 Local Government Areas of Osun State through a democratic process by proceeding with the local government election already scheduled for February 22, 2025.”
The court further ruled that the election conducted by the 1st Defendant on October 15, 2022, was invalidated, nullified, and voided, with the purportedly elected officials removed by the Federal High Court in case FHC/CS/OS/103/2022 (Action Peoples Party (APP) vs. Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) & Ors), delivered on November 30, 2022. This decision was later upheld by the Court of Appeal in case CA/AK/226M/2024 (Allied Peoples Movement (APM) & Ors vs. Action Peoples Party (APP) & Ors), delivered on January 13, 2025.
The court, therefore, affirmed that vacancies exist in the political administration of local councils in the state, upholding the PDP’s prayers in the suit.
In addition, the court directed and compelled all security agencies, including the Nigeria Police, the Nigerian Army, the Department of State Security Services (DSS), the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), the Amotekun Corps, and vigilante groups, to provide adequate security before, during, and after the election.
The Commissioner for Justice urged residents of the state to turn out and cast their votes for the political party of their choice.
He added, “The Osun State Governor is law-abiding and cannot go against a court order. Moreover, OSSIEC is an independent body, just as the Federal Government cannot control the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).”
Bada urged the people of Osun State to comply with the court’s ruling by participating in the election.
