- AGF Lateef Fagbemi urged Governor Adeleke to cancel Osun’s local government election, citing a Court of Appeal ruling that upheld the tenure of the sacked officials
- The election was marred by escalating violence between the PDP and APC, resulting in multiple fatalities and calls for peaceful resolutions
- The Osun Democrats for Democracy rejected Fagbemi’s call, arguing that only a court could stop the election, while the Inspector General of Police defended security measures
The Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), has urged Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, to call off Saturday's local government elections, warning that the poll would be unconstitutional and invalid.
In a statement issued on Thursday, February 20, Fagbemi emphasised that conducting the election would breach the Constitution, as the tenure of the allegedly sacked local government officials remains valid according to a recent Court of Appeal ruling.
The judgement, delivered on February 10, 2025, restored the ousted chairmen, rendering any new election unnecessary and unlawful.
The political crisis in Osun State, sparked by a dispute between the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC), has escalated into violence. Six people, including an APC leader, were killed earlier this week.
Fagbemi called on Governor Adeleke to respect the law and avoid further violence, urging him to prevent any actions that could exacerbate tensions in the state.
He also referenced the recent Supreme Court ruling on local government autonomy, reinforcing the legal obligation to respect the tenure of elected officials until October 2025.
In a swift rebuttal, a civil society group, Osun Democrats for Democracy (ODD), rejected the AGF's call, accusing him of overstepping his authority. The group argued that only a court could stop the election and criticised Fagbemi for failing to mention an earlier judgement that dismissed APC council candidates.
Meanwhile, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, dismissed allegations of bias regarding the security situation in Osun, stressing that the deployment of additional forces was in response to requests from local authorities.
The crisis has prompted calls for intervention from the PDP Governors’ Forum, which condemned the violence and called for a return to peace and the rule of law. However, the APC has asked President Bola Tinubu to intervene and prevent the election, citing the Court of Appeal's ruling that reinstated the APC chairmen.
Governor Adeleke has urged voters to participate peacefully in the upcoming election, assuring residents that security measures are in place to ensure a safe and orderly process.
LGs should manage their funds, Supreme Court rules in local government autonomy suit
Meanwhile, TheRadar earlier reported that In a led judgment delivered by Justice Emmanuel Agim on Thursday, July 12, the seven-man panel unanimously said it was unconstitutional for state governors to hold funds allocated for local government administrations.
The court ruled that since paying local governments through states had not worked, their allocation from the federation account should henceforth be paid directly to them.
