Just In: Osun Govt Questions FG’s Request to Halt LG Elections

Prince Lateef Fagbemi, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, called for the suspension of the Osun State Local Government elections that are set for this Saturday. The Osun State Government has responded to this appeal.
Recall that Fagbemi had requested that Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke immediately suspend the Local Government election process.
In a statement released on Thursday, the AGF stated that the law’s stance on the developments that are causing tension between the PDP and the All Progressives Congress (APC) was unambiguous.

The order that the governor used to remove the local government chairmen chosen by the administration was declared void by the court, according to Fagbemi.
However, Nurudeen Kareem, Special Adviser to Osun Governor on Legal Matters, responded late Thursday night in a statement, saying that the ruling dismissing the former LG chairmen is still in effect, enforceable, and binding until it is reversed by a higher court with the necessary authority.

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He asked the AGF to clarify a Supreme Court ruling in WADA v. BELLO (2016) 17 NWLR PT 1542 433, which upholds the requirement that all courts, whether they are higher or lower in the court hierarchy, follow judgments.

“We would like to express our appreciation to Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, the Honourable Attorney-General of the Federation and Justice Minister, for his insightful comments on the ruling in the PDP versus APC case pertaining to the 2022 Osun local government election,” Kareem stated.

We appreciate the AGF’s position on the PDP’s lawsuit, but we think it’s important to draw attention to the APP v. APC case’s continued significance, especially in light of the Federal High Court’s ruling in FHC/OS/CS/103/2022, which the Court of Appeal upheld on January 13, 2025.

We firmly believe that the Federal High Court’s decision in FHC/OS/CS/103/2022, which was issued on November 30, 2022, is still in effect, enforceable, and binding until it is overturned by a higher court with the necessary authority. The Supreme Court’s ruling in the case of WADA v. BELLO (2016) 17 NWLR PT 1542 433, which upholds that rulings must be followed by all courts, whether they are higher or lower in the hierarchy of courts, is one well-established legal precedent that supports this idea.

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We humbly ask the AGF to clarify this issue, considering the importance of this ruling for maintaining the integrity of our electoral procedures. Osun residents and the general Nigerian public are eagerly awaiting his well-informed view, which we think will help advance knowledge of the legal environment surrounding these elections.

“I appreciate you taking the time to consider this urgent matter.”