Osun Gov’t Slams APC For Blackmailing Judiciary Over LG Crisis

The Osun State Government has dismissed the claims made by the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, stating that the party is attempting to evade the consequences of its unlawful occupation of local government secretariats.

The government accused the APC of resorting to baseless blackmail against the judiciary to cover up its legal predicament.

According to the government, the APC is deliberately misrepresenting the fact that it is currently facing three separate lawsuits concerning its forceful takeover of local government secretariats.

These lawsuits include one filed by the duly elected PDP local government chairmen and councillors under the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), another by the state’s local government workers under the National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), and a third by the Action Peoples Party (APP), which has sued the APC for contempt of court for disregarding a subsisting judgment that invalidated the tenure of its so-called Yes/No chairmen.

In a statement signed by the spokesperson to Governor Ademola Adeleke, Mallam Olawale Rasheed, and made available to Naija News, the government clarified that the governor has not initiated any legal proceedings against the APC. Instead, he has directed PDP-elected officials to adhere strictly to the rule of law and to maintain peace.

The APC’s claims that there are plans to use violence against the removed Yes/No chairmen have been dismissed as unfounded.

The state government asserts that such allegations are merely a desperate attempt by the APC to avoid the legal consequences of its unconstitutional takeover of local government administration in Osun.

LEGAL ACTIONS AGAINST THE UNLAWFUL OCCUPATION

The government reiterated that those directly affected by the APC’s actions have taken legal steps to challenge the situation in court.

The legitimately elected council chairmen, vice chairmen, and councillors have filed lawsuits seeking to remove the Yes/No chairmen, whom they accuse of defying legal rulings and resorting to self-help rather than respecting the judiciary.

NULGE, as a key stakeholder, has also turned to the courts to protect the integrity of local government operations. Both the PDP-elected council officials and NULGE have sought specific reliefs from the judiciary to affirm their lawful authority and prevent further disruptions.

RELIEFS SOUGHT BY PDP-ELECTED COUNCIL CHAIRMEN

1. A DECLARATION that the 1st – 8th Defendants, having been removed from office as Chairmen and Councilors of the Local Government Councils in Osun State by a subsisting and extant Judgment of the Federal High Court delivered on the 30th day of November, 2022, and a fresh election having been duly and lawfully conducted on the 22nd day of February, 2025, pursuant to the subsisting Order of the Osun State High Court in Suit No: HIL/M.19/2025 which led to the conduct of elections and the emergence of the Claimants as Chairmen and Councilors of the Local Government in Osun State, cannot impede, interfere, and/or obstruct, in any way whatsoever, the Claimants in their assumption of office.

2. A DECLARATION that the 9th – 12th Defendants being persons and authorities bound to give effect to every decision of this Honourable Court and of all superior courts of record in Nigeria by virtue of Section 287 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), have the constitutional duty to ensure that all persons and authorities, including the 1st – 8th defendants, their allies, privies, agents, or any person acting through them or in their stead, or with their support, do not interfere, disturb or cause obstruction to the assumption of office by the Claimants into their respective offices as Chairmen and Councilors of the Local Government Councils in Osun State; more particularly having regard to the said Judgment of the Federal High Court of Nigeria delivered on 30th November, 2022 in Suit No: FHC/OS/CS/103/2022

3. A DECLARATION that in view of the election of the 22nd day of February, 2025, conducted pursuant to the provisions of sections 28, 29, 30 and 150 of the Electoral Act, 2022 and the decision of the Osun State High Court in Suit No: HIL/M.19/2025, PEOPLES DEMOCRATIC PARTY V. OSUN STATE INDEPENDENT ELECTORAL COMMISSION and the Federal High Court in FHC/OS/CS/103/2022, ACTION PEOPLES PARTY V. INEC & 6 ORS and the dismissal of the Appeal against the said Judgment in Appeal No: CA/AK/226M/24, ALLIED PEOPLES MOVEMENT & ORS V. ACTION PEOPLES PARTY & ORS on 13th January, 2025, and subsequent swearing in of the Claimants on the 23rd of February, 2025, the Claimants are the legal occupants of the 30 Local Government Councils in Osun State as Chairmen and Councilors.

4. A DECLARATION that it amounts to a derogation of the right to freedom of movement of the Claimants for the 9th – 12th Defendants to forcefully prevent and obstruct them vi et armis, from accessing and occupying offices they were voted into as Chairmen and Councilors of the 30 Local Government Councils in Osun State in the election that took place on the 22nd of February, 2025.

5.AN ORDER OF PERPETUAL INJUNCTION restraining the 1st – 8th Defendants from assuming and/or taking any step(s) whatsoever towards assuming office as Chairmen and/or Councilors of the Local Government Councils in Osun State from which position they were sacked by a valid and subsisting order of the Federal High Court in Suit No: FHC/OS/CS/103/2022.

6. AN ORDER OF PERPETUAL INJUNCTION restraining the 1st – 8th Defendants from parading or further parading themselves as Chairmen and Councilors of the 30 Local Government Councils in Osun State.

7. AN ORDER OF PERPETUAL INJUNCTION restraining the 9th – 12th Defendants, whether by themselves or through their officers and men, servants, agents, allies, privies, or howsoever, from assisting, aiding or taking any step(s) whatsoever in assisting, aiding or helping the 1st – 8th Defendants to assume office as Chairmen and/or Councilors of the Local Government Councils in Osun State.

8. AN ORDER OF THIS HONOURABLE COURT directing the 9th – 12th Defendants, whether by themselves or through their officers and men, servants, agents, allies, privies, or howsoever to ensure that the Claimants assume their respective offices at their various Local Government Headquarters in Osun State as Chairmen and Councilors of the 30 Local Government Councils in Osun State without any interference, let or hindrance from any quarters whatsoever, be it from the 1st – 8th Defendants or from their allies, privies, agents, or anybody acting through them or in their stead.

RELIEFS SOUGHT BY NULGE

A DECLARATION OF THIS HONOURABLE COURT that the 1st – 9th Defendants, having been removed from office as Chairmen and Councilors of the Local Government Councils in Osun State by a subsisting Judgment of the Federal High Court delivered on the 30th day of November, 2022 cannot in any way whatsoever, impose themselves as Chairmen and Councilors of the 30 Local Government Councils and interfere with the running and operations of all the said 30 Local Government Councils of Osun State unless and until the said Judgment is set aside by a higher court.

2. A DECLARATION OF THIS HONOURABLE COURT that the 10th and 11th Defendants being persons and authorities bound to give effect to every decision of thisHonourable Court and of all superior courts of record in Nigeria by virtue of Section287 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), and whose duty is to ensure the sustenance of peace in Osun State, have the Constitutional Duty to ensure that all persons and authorities, including the 1st – 9th Defendants, their allies privies, agents, or anybody acting through them or in their stead, do not interfere or cause any interference with running and operations of all the 30 Local Government Council of Osun State and/or to make attempt and/or to continue to present themselves as Chairmen and Councillors of all the Local Government in Osun State and/or any the said Local Government in Osun State of Nigeria except if the said Judgment of the Federal High Court in Suit No FHC/OS/CS/103/2022 delivered on 30th November,2022 is set aside by a higher Court.

3. AN ORDER OF PERPETUAL INJUNCTION restraining the 1st – 9th Defendants from assuming and/or taking any step whatsoever towards assuming office as Chairmen and/or Councilors of the Local Government Councils in Osun State and interfering in any way whatsoever, with the running and operations of all the 30 Local Government Council of Osun State.

4. AN ORDER OF PERPETUAL INJUNCTION restraining the 1st – 9th Defendants from parading or further parading themselves as Chairmen and Councilors of the 30 Local Government Councils in Osun State.

5. AN ORDER OF PERPETUAL INJUNCTION restraining the 10th and 11th Defendants, as well as their men and officers, from assisting, aiding or taking any step whatsoever in helping the 1st – 9th Defendants to assume office as Chairmen and/or Councilors of the Local Government Councils in Osun State and interfering with the running and operations of all the 30 Local Government Councils of Osun State.

6. AN ORDER OF PERPETUAL INJUNCTION restraining the 10th and 11th Defendants, as well as their men and officers or any other person acting under or through them, from harassing, threatening arrest and/or arresting members of theClaimant’s union, in a bid to assisting and aiding the 2nd – 9th Defendants to assume office as Chairman and/or Councilors of the Local Government Councils in Osun State And interfering with the running and operations of all the 30 Local Government Councils of Osun State.

The Osun State Government has urged the APC to confront its legal battles rather than attempting to drag Governor Ademola Adeleke into what it describes as self-inflicted political and legal troubles.