Osun State Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke, has appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene in the protracted crisis rocking local government councils in the state, following the continued stay in office of “reinstated” All Progressives Congress (APC) executives.
The crisis, which has lingered since February 10, 2025, followed a Court of Appeal judgment that reportedly reinstated APC chairmen and councillors elected in 2022 but earlier sacked by the Federal High Court, Osogbo, and removed through an Executive Order issued by Governor Adeleke.
Despite fresh local government elections conducted on February 22, 2025, in which Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidates emerged winners, the APC executives have remained in control of the councils, creating parallel administrations across the state.
In a statewide broadcast on Monday, Governor Adeleke described the continued occupation of council secretariats by APC officials as illegal and a threat to democratic governance.
“Osun councils have been under illegal occupation by APC chairmen and councillors whose election was nullified by the Federal High Court in November 2022 and affirmed by the Court of Appeal on February 10, 2025, and again on June 13, 2025,” the governor said.
He alleged that the APC executives were emboldened by the backing of the Nigeria Police, acting on the instructions of former Governor Gboyega Oyetola, and accused them of refusing to vacate office despite the expiration of their tenure.
Adeleke further argued that the tenure of elected officials cannot be extended beyond its constitutional limit, stressing that even filings by the APC and the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation had acknowledged that the officials had no valid claim to office beyond October 22, 2025.
“To further confirm that their so-called tenure has expired, the APC chairmen and councillors approached the Federal High Court seeking an extension of their tenure,” he said. “That action alone amounts to an admission that whatever tenure they claimed had already expired.”
The governor also raised alarm over the withholding of statutory allocations to local governments in the state, alleging that about ₦130 billion had been withheld since February 2025.
“Attempts were made to divert these funds through accounts opened with United Bank for Africa by persons not authorised by law to be signatories to local government funds,” Adeleke alleged, warning that civil servants, health workers, and grassroots communities were bearing the brunt of the crisis.
Appealing directly to President Tinubu, Adeleke insisted that the President was not complicit in the alleged illegality and urged him to step in to safeguard democracy in the state.
“I appeal to Mr President to intervene and rescue Osun State local governments from the vice grip of those whose self-awarded tenure has lapsed,” he said.
However, the Chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) in Osun State, Abiodun Idowu, dismissed Adeleke’s claims, accusing the governor of whipping up public sentiment to justify what he described as illegal actions.
Idowu said the APC-backed executives were legally reinstated by the Court of Appeal judgment of February 10, 2025, and remain in office pending a final determination of their tenure by the courts.
“It is surprising to hear the governor now talking about tenure termination when he earlier said we had no tenure at all,” Idowu said. “We are in the local governments based on the Appeal Court judgment, and we have approached the Federal High Court for clarification, which we are ready to pursue up to the Supreme Court.”
He accused Adeleke of instigating the crisis by issuing an Executive Order to remove the councils and alleged that the governor was using the local government dispute to settle political scores with his predecessor, Gboyega Oyetola.
“If the governor has personal issues with Oyetola, he should face him directly and not drag local governments into a vindictive battle,” Idowu added, insisting that the APC executives remain legally backed.