The Federal Government has requested that Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State postpone the Local Government elections that are set to take place on Saturday.
Lateef Fagbemi, the Attorney-General of the Federation, made this announcement while addressing the ongoing turmoil within the state.
In a statement released late Thursday, Fagbemi emphasized that the legal framework regarding this situation is unequivocal, particularly in light of the tensions between the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Fagbemi pointed out that the order upon which the governor based his decision to dismiss the local government chairpersons elected during the previous administration has been invalidated by the court.
“My attention has been drawn to the public outcry from Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, regarding the ruling of the Court of Appeal, Akure division, delivered on February 10, 2025, in Appeal No CA/AK/272/2022, which annulled and overturned the judgment of the Federal High Court, Osogbo, Osun State, issued on November 25, 2022.”
“It has become essential to issue this public notice to dispel any doubts, fears, and uncertainties arising from misrepresentations and misinformation concerning the legal implications of the Court of Appeal’s ruling.
“To provide proper context, the events leading to the two judgments occurred during the tenure of the former Governor of Osun State, Adegboyega Oyetola, when elections were conducted for all local governments in Osun State, and the winners were duly sworn in.
“However, just days before Governor Adeleke’s inauguration, the Federal High Court in Osogbo issued the aforementioned judgment, which nullified the elections of the local government officials and removed them from their positions. Following his assumption of office shortly after the ruling, Governor Adeleke issued an executive order for the physical removal of the elected officials and appointed caretakers in their stead.
“Meanwhile, the APC, which was a party in the Federal High Court case mentioned earlier, filed an appeal against the judgment. The Court of Appeal…