Solicitors representing 30 Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) local government chairmen and councillors in Osun State have petitioned the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), demanding the enforcement of several court rulings that affirmed the legitimacy of their February 22, 2025, election victories.
In a letter dated June 23, 2025, the legal team condemned what they described as the illegal occupation of council secretariats by sacked All Progressives Congress (APC) officials, allegedly with federal backing. The lawyers said the actions not only defy multiple court rulings but also undermine democracy and the rule of law in the state.
The legal standoff began after the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSSIEC) conducted an October 15, 2022, local government election, which was won by APC candidates. However, both the PDP and Action Peoples Party (APP) challenged the process in court, citing OSSIEC’s failure to follow key provisions of the Electoral Act, 2022, and constitutional breaches.
On November 30, 2022, the Federal High Court in Osogbo nullified the APC’s election in a case filed by the APP, declaring it unconstitutional and invalid. The court also struck down portions of the OSSIEC Law for conflicting with national laws. An APC appeal was abandoned and struck out on February 13, 2025, while a relisting attempt was dismissed on June 13, 2025.
While a separate PDP suit was struck out for being premature, the APP judgment remained binding. Acting on this, an Osun High Court ordered OSSIEC to conduct fresh elections, resulting in a PDP sweep on February 22, 2025. PDP officials were sworn in the next day.
Most recently, the Court of Appeal affirmed the Federal High Court’s nullification of the APC-led councils, confirming the PDP’s legitimacy. The judgment blasted the APC for failing to pursue its appeal, describing it as a “self-inflicted wound” and emphasizing that the PDP’s election rendered the APC’s claims irrelevant.
Despite this, PDP lawyers allege that sacked APC officials continue to occupy the councils with the backing of federal security agencies. They also criticized a March 26, 2025, letter from the AGF to the Minister of Finance recognizing the APC-led councils until October 2025 and authorizing them to receive federal funds—a move the lawyers labeled “an affront to the courts.”
Citing key Supreme Court precedents and the 1999 Constitution, the PDP solicitors demanded eight urgent actions, including:
Enforcement of the Appeal Court’s June 13 ruling,
Withdrawal of the AGF’s March directive,
Federal recognition of the PDP officials,
Redirection of all allocations to the validly elected councils,
And removal of security forces from the council premises.
The dispute underscores growing tension between court decisions and political actions in Osun, putting Nigeria’s commitment to judicial authority and democratic order to the test.
