The Coast appear to be clear for the conduct of the LG/ Council elections in Osun state slated for tommorow Saturday February, 2025 with the last minute court order granting the conduct of the disputed planned Elections.
The Osun State High Court in Osogbo has instructed the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSIEC) and relevant security agencies to move forward with the local government elections planned for Saturday.
This ruling was issued on Friday by Justice A. Aderigbigbe, in response to an enrollment order filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) against OSIEC and its Chairman, Hashim Abioye.
The court confirmed that there are indeed vacancies in all 30 local government areas of the state, as previously established by a Federal High Court ruling.
The court determined that the election held by the first defendant on October 15, 2022, was invalidated, nullified, and rendered void. It noted that the officials purportedly elected during that election had been removed by the Federal High Court in case FHC/CS/OS/103/2022; ACTION PEOPLES PARTY (APP) vs. INDEPENDENT NATIONAL ELECTORAL COMMISSION (INEC) & Ors, with the ruling delivered on November 30, 2022. This was further supported by a decision from the Court of Appeal in Appeal No: CA/AK/226M/2024; ALLIED PEOPLE MOVEMENT (APM) & Ors vs. ACTION PEOPLES PARTY (APP) & ORs, delivered on January 13, 2025, confirming the existence of vacancies in the local councils’ political administration.
Additionally, the court directed all security agencies, including the Nigeria Police, the Nigeria Army, the Department of State Security Services (DSS), the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC), the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), the Amotekun Corps, and various vigilante groups in the state, to ensure adequate security measures are in place during and after the elections.
Meanwhile, reactions has been trailing the court order and development on the poll.
The jubilant PDP has appluaded the judgment and stated her readiness to partake in the election with confidence of victory.
Oladele Bamiji Hezekiah, media Director of Osun PDP issued a press release on the court injunction.
“COURT AFFIRMS VACANCY IN OSUN LOCAL COUNCILS, ORDERS OSSIEC TO PROCEED WITH ELECTION●
Police, Army, DSS, NSCDC, Others Ordered to Provide Adequate Security OSOGBO – 21/02/2025
The Osun State High Court sitting in Ilesa, has ordered the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission, (OSSIEC), to conduct elections into the vacant positions of local government chairmen and councillors in all the 30 local government areas and the area office in Osun State.
This order was made on Friday, 21st of February, 2025, sequel to a suit brought before the court by the Peoples Democratic Party, one of the political parties participating in the election.
The order came at a time the OSSIEC has concluded arrangements for the local government election, slated for Saturday 22nd February 2025.
The court found as a fact, that the election conducted by the 1st Defendant on 15th October, 2022, having been invalidated, nullified and voided, and the purported elected officials produced by the purported election having been sacked by the Federal High Court in FHC/CS/OS/103/2022; ACTION PEOPLES PARTY (APP) VS. INDEPENDENT NATIONAL ELECTORAL COMMISSION (INEC) & Ors, delivered on the 30th November, 2022 and as confirmed by the decision of the Court of Appeal in Appeal No: CA/AK/226M/2024; ALLIED PEOPLE MOVEMENT (APM) & Ors VS. ACTION PEOLES PARTY (APP) & ORS delivered on the 13th January, 2025, vacancy actually exists in the political administration of local councils in the State, thereby, consequently upholding the prayers of the PDP in the suit.
Consequently, the Court granted the prayers of the claimant, seeking an order of the court “directing, mandating and compelling the defendants to fill the vacancies across the 30 local government areas of Osun State through a democratic process by proceeding to conduct the local government elections already scheduled by the defendants for 22nd of February, 2025.
.”The court further directed and compelled all the security agencies, comprising of the Nigeria Police, the Nigeria Army,
the department of State Security Services (DSS), the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC), the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), the Amotekun Corps, the Vigilante group etc in the state to provide adequate security, during and after the election.”
Signed:Oladele Bamiji Hezekiah
Media Director, Osun State PDP
21/02/2025
Ireportnew247 accessed the certified true copy of the court order.
