Breaking: Osun Local Council Polls Will Hold Saturday as Planned – Governor Adeleke

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) are at odds, but Governor Ademola Adeleke has declared that Osun State’s local government elections will go ahead as planned on Saturday.

Mallam Olawale Rasheed, the governor’s spokesperson, announced the appointment in a statement on Friday.

Following the Court of Appeal’s recent decision to reinstate APC-backed local government officials who had been fired by the state government, the statement was made. Conflicts over control of the local councils between the two main parties were exacerbated by the court’s ruling.

Governor Adeleke was warned earlier Thursday by Lateef Fagbemi, the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), not to hold the election. He maintained that the dismissed local government officials’ terms remained in effect until October 2025 because the Court of Appeal reinstated them. Fagbemi said it would be against the Constitution to organize another election.

“Despite the Court of Appeal’s ruling mentioned above, which effectively indicates that the elected officials’ terms of office have regained their currency and will naturally expire in October 2025, His Excellency has insisted that a new Local Government election be held on Saturday, February 22, 2025,” he said. Any such election that is held would be a flagrant violation of the Constitution, which Governor Adeleke has sworn to uphold, in addition to being void because the elected officials’ terms of office, which were recently restored by the Court of Appeal’s ruling, will still be in effect until October 2025. Once more, the recent Supreme Court ruling that upheld and strengthened local government autonomy also makes it more imperative for Governor Adeleke to make sure that the transition from one elected official to another occurs peacefully and smoothly within the three-year period specified by law.

The Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSIEC) should be advised by Governor Adeleke to put off holding any local government elections at this time.

At a meeting with a group of civil society organizations in Osogbo, however, Governor Adeleke assured the populace that the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSSIEC) was ready for the elections.

“You are all welcome in Osun State. In anticipation of tomorrow’s elections, our people are ready. They long to be able to choose who will serve as chairmen and council members.

“OSIEC has also performed an excellent preparatory job, based on the reports I have access to.” A number of political parties are taking part, and I think there will be an even playing field for everyone to see how well-liked they are by the general public,” the release cited the governor as telling the visiting activists.

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“All parties, including national and local stakeholders, should follow democratic norms,” I advise. Regarding myself and my people, we support the rule of law rather than illega self-help.

“The election will take place, and the result will be a rapid development at the local level.” Please, our people, keep the peace. Governor Adeleke continued, “Osun is a genuinely peaceful state.”