The political standoff in Osun State deepened on Tuesday as the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) continued to clash over the legitimacy of newly appointed local government chairmen and councillors.
The dispute has intensified, with both parties now appealing to the Federal Government for intervention. The controversy erupted after the Osun State Government submitted a letter to key federal officials, including the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) Lateef Fagbemi, Accountant-General of the Federation Shamsedeen Babatunde Ogunjimi, and Central Bank Governor Yemi Cardoso, introducing the newly selected local government officials.
This move sparked strong backlash from the APC, which denounced the appointed officials as impostors and called on the Federal Government to reject their recognition.
In a statement, the APC’s Director of Media and Information in Osun, Kola Olabisi, accused the Osun PDP of attempting to deceive federal authorities. “These individuals were not elected, and the Court of Appeal’s ruling on 10th February 2025 reinstated the elected local government officials from October 2022,” Olabisi said, reiterating that the state government had ignored professional advice from the AGF, who had warned against holding fresh elections.
The PDP, however, defended the appointments, dismissing APC’s accusations as distortion of facts. Osun PDP Chairman Sunday Bisi argued that the APC was “hallucinating” and claimed the Federal Government was already reviewing the situation. “No court ruling reinstated the so-called ‘Yes/No’ chairmen the APC claims are legitimate,” Bisi said, emphasizing that certified court judgments had been submitted to the Federal Ministry of Justice for review.
Security concerns have also emerged as the two parties trade accusations of violence. APC pointed to the advice of the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun, who had cautioned against holding the local government elections due to an unfavorable security situation. Olabisi claimed that Governor Ademola Adeleke ignored this advice, leading to consequences that have now sparked further political tension.
In a counterclaim, the PDP accused the APC of inciting violence, citing the tragic deaths of six PDP members in politically motivated attacks. Bisi also urged the state government to focus on bringing the perpetrators of the recent murder of former APC leader Remi Abass to justice.
As the legal battle over the issue continues, the APC has accused the state government of attempting to manipulate the judicial process by seeking a pliable judge in the state High Court to overturn the Court of Appeal ruling. Olabisi condemned the move, calling it a blatant disregard for judicial hierarchy.
Despite the turmoil, PDP expressed confidence that the Federal Government would ultimately rule in its favor, with Bisi asserting, “We believe President Bola Tinubu will ensure the right decision is made.” The outcome of this legal and political standoff remains uncertain, as both parties continue to vie for control and legitimacy.
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