Council poll: Adeleke breached oath of office, says APC

- Governor urges chairmen to stay away from secretariats

Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke has breached his oath of office by conducting illegal council poll that have sparked chaos, the All Progressives Congress (APC) said yesterday.

The ruling party urged the Federal Government to withhold Federation Account allocation meant for the 30 local governments until they are governed by reinstated elected officials.

Following the February 10 Court of Appeal judgment reinstating the sacked council chairmen, Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) Lateef Fagbemi cautioned the Osun State government against going ahead with the planned local government election, which, he said, will be invalid.

But on Friday, the Osun State government got an order from a state High Court to go ahead with the election which held and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidates declared winner in all 30 councils were sworn in yesterday by Governor Adeleke.

The APC condemned the poll, and accused the government and the state chapter of the PDP of threatening peace.

The APC National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, maintained in statement in Abuja that the election was “illegal and unconstitutional.”

During the swearing-in of the chairmen, Adeleke asked them to stay away from the secretariats.

Dismissing the polls as a ruse, Morka said: “The purported last Saturday’s fresh election conducted by Governor Adeleke and his PDP is nothing but a disgraceful sham, illegal, unconstitutional and violently contemptuous of the valid and subsisting judgment of the Court of Appeal, and of no effect whatsoever.

“The exercise was a reckless waste of public funds, and an irresponsible incitement to further violence in an already volatile atmosphere in the state.”

He noted that the appellate court in its ruling on February 10, 2025, overturned a Federal High Court judgment that nullified the election of APC-backed local government officials in 2022.

Faulting the governor, Morka said his action was a “flagrant breach” of his oath of office, adding that the “reckless political provocation” led to violent unrest and loss of lives in some local governments.

He also frowned at the appointment of caretaker committees for the local councils after dismissing elected officials in 2022, pointing out that the move  violated Section 7(1) of the 1999 Constitution, which guarantees democratically elected local governments.

Morka queried: “Why is it so difficult for Governor Adeleke, who swore an oath to uphold and defend the Constitution, to abide by a valid order of the Court of Appeal? Why is the Governor so determined to incite anarchy in Osun State with impunity?”

Morka urged security agencies in the state to ensure law and order amid rising tensions.

He also advised Adeleke to seek redress in the Supreme Court instead of taking “unconstitutional shortcuts” that could further destabilise the state.

The party official enjoined local government workers to continue their duties under the reinstated chairmen and councillors.

He said: “In keeping with the rule of law, it is our expectation that the Federal Government will make allocation for local governments available only to democratically elected and judicially certified local government officials in Osun state.”

Adeleke to new helmsmen: stay away from secretariats

Adeleke directed the new chairmen and councillors to stay away from local government secretariats after inaugurating them at the Government House, Oke-Fia,  Osogbo, the state capital.

Accompanied by his Oyo and Bauchi counterparts, Seyi Makinde and Bala Muhammad, he commended the OSIEC for complying with all extant rules and procedures during the election.

Adeleke said: “We are equally aware of the legal controversies that dogged the holding of the election. It is however, a thing of joy that the facts are out in the public domain and we are satisfied that we are on the side of the law within the context of rule of law and the constitution.”

The governor congratulated the chairmen, urging them to deliver good governance in their respective councils by developing plans of action within the manifesto of the PDP.

Adeleke said: “I urge you and your councilors to please, stay away from the council secretariats to avoid any clash with those whom the police had aided to forcefully occupy the local government secretariats.

“The Osun State High Court had affirmed the vacancies in the chairmanship and councillorship positions in all of Osun State local governments before your election on the 22nd February 2025.

"We will, therefore, rely on the judiciary to ensure a peaceful removal of those illegally occupying the local government secretariats. Please, be patient and always abide by the rule of law.”

No room for violence in Southwest,  says Makinde

Reflecting on the crisis, Makinde said: “We don’t want wild wild west again. They should stay away from this zone. We want to peacefully provide the dividend of democracy for the people.

"They should not resort to self help even if there is a court judgment. They should not think because they have federal might. This is a Federal arrangement. I will stop here.”

APC to chairmen: Keep occupying secretariats

The Osun APC in a statement by its Director of Media and Information, Chief Kola Olabisi, directed the reinstated chairmen and councillors to resume at the secretariats.

It said: “We want to make it abundantly clear that it is imperative for the elected APC local government chairmen and councillors not to cease from resumption at their various local government council areas to continue to serve the deprived people at the grassroots level of government.

“We are not unaware of the fact that some disgruntled elements who are emboldened by the lawless government of the day in Osun State are planning to invade the local government council areas across the state. 

“We would like to enjoin the state Commissioner of Police, the State Director of the DSS and the State Comptroller of the Civil Defence to be on watch out, with a view to keeping peace in all the local government council areas in the state.”

Chairmen get Certificates of Return

The 30 chairmen have received their certificates of returns from the state electoral commission, according to a statement by its Information Officer, Sadiat Isiaka.

She said “The OSSIEC chairman congratulated the elected chairmen on their victory, just as he urged them to be good ambassadors of democracy both in conduct and service to the people.”