The Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has accused the Accord/PDP-led state government of deliberately abusing court processes to intimidate opposition-controlled local government councils and undermine the rule of law.
Speaking at a press conference on Monday, January 5, 2026, at the party’s state secretariat in the Ogo-Oluwa area of Osogbo, the APC Chairman, Mr. Sooko Tajudeen Lawal, alleged that the state government induced what he described as a prolonged legal crisis over the administration of local government councils in the state.
Lawal recalled that the Court of Appeal, on February 10, 2025, nullified judgments that had earlier sacked APC-elected chairmen and councillors across Osun State, reinstating them to office. He said the state government did not appeal the ruling but allegedly refused to comply with it, insisting instead on relying on what it described as a judgment in a “sister case.”
According to the APC chairman, the reinstated officials resumed office on February 17, 2025, the same day violence reportedly broke out at some council secretariats, leading to the killing of one of the reinstated chairmen, Hon. Remi Abbas. He further accused the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), Osun State chapter, of siding with the then PDP-led government by directing council workers to stay away from work.
Lawal also described as illegal the local government elections conducted by the state government on February 22, 2025, alleging that the exercise was based on an improper notice and remains the subject of ongoing litigation.
He alleged that, following the Court of Appeal judgment, the state government initiated multiple suits in different courts across the country on the same subject matter, including cases at the Federal High Court, state high courts, and the Supreme Court. He expressed concern over what he termed conflicting interim orders, some of which, he said, were used to block the release of statutory allocations to the reinstated councils, thereby crippling grassroots governance.
The APC chairman noted that petitions had been submitted to the National Judicial Council (NJC) over the conduct of some judicial officers, but said the party had yet to receive feedback. He urged the NJC to act promptly, arguing that delays could erode public confidence in the judiciary.
Lawal said the Supreme Court judgment delivered on December 5, 2025, finally settled the matter by striking out the suit filed by the Osun State Government and affirming the earlier Court of Appeal decision that reinstated the APC chairmen and councillors. He added that the apex court held that the state government and candidates from the disputed February 22, 2025 elections had no legal basis to lay claim to the councils.
He accused the state government of misleading the public through what he described as a “media war,” including allegations that local government funds were being withheld and what he called the misrepresentation of court decisions.
Clarifying the position of the reinstated council officials, Lawal said they had not approached any court to seek tenure extension, but only asked the court to interpret the law on whether their three-year tenure runs from their first statutory sitting and whether valid elections could be held during that period.
The APC chairman appealed to the NJC and the entire judiciary to take note of the legal history of the matter to prevent further “misleading” applications and conflicting orders. He expressed confidence that the era of multiple interim orders over Osun local government councils was coming to an end.
Lawal concluded by commending security agencies, the judiciary, and the media for what he described as their professionalism during the crisis, and thanked the people of Osun State for remaining calm. He stressed that the party remains committed to peaceful and lawful engagement, adding, “May the rule of law reign in Osun State.”
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