Osun LG Crisis: Two Chairmen, One Council; A Year Of Stagnant Grassroots Development

February 17, 2025, will forever be remembered in the hearts of the families of Mr Remi Abass, a former chairman of Irewole Local Government Area and the six other people who lost their lives in the free-for-all crisis that erupted across local governments in Osun over the control of the council by supporters of the Peoples Democratic Party and the All Progressives Congress.

The mayhem, which was triggered by a contentious Court of Appeal ruling allegedly reinstating the APC chairmen who were elected in the October 15, 2022 election after their sacking by the Federal High Court, Osogbo, also led to injuries to many supporters of both parties.

The APC council chairmen who were elected in a Yes or No election, which was contested by only the party, were sacked by the Federal High Court in Osogbo in November 2022.

Justice Nathaniel Emmanuel-Ayoola, who sacked the chairmen, declared the election that brought them in as null and void on the grounds that the conduct of the election contravenes Sections 29 & 32 of the Electoral Act, 2022.

Following the judgement, the state government under the Peoples Democratic Party put in place caretaker council officials across the Local Governments and the Area Office.

However, the Supreme Court judgement of July 11, 2024, granting financial autonomy to local governments led to the dissolution of the caretaker chairmen by the state government and a new election was conducted on February 22, 2025 by the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission, with the candidates of the PDP winning all the positions.

The crisis escalated following the February 22 election, with the APC insisting that their chairmen had been returned to the councils by the Appeal Court and vowing that they would remain in the councils to complete their constitutional three-year tenure.

The development led to the state having two sets of local government officials, with both parties laying claim to being the authentic chairmen. The crisis also led to members of the Nigerian Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) staying off work for 11 months.

Meanwhile, the people who have been suffering the most since the crisis started a year ago are those at the grassroots, as the situation has paralysed development within the rural population.

Fundamentally, the local government serves as the third tier of governance, positioned closest to the people to foster grassroots development and provide essential local services – healthcare, education and infrastructure. However, the reverse is currently the case in Osun State, as the grassroots have been sacrificed on the altar of political war.

For a year now, development at the grassroots level has been stagnant as the allocations due to the council areas from the federal government have not been released. The funds were initially seized by the federal government due to the crisis.

A few months back, the APC-led council chairmen allegedly opened a new bank account with the United Bank of Africa (UBA), where the seized allocations were deposited.

However, the state government went to court to seek an order restraining the bank from disbursing the funds to the APC council officials, an order which was granted by an Oyo State High Court.

Speaking on the issue, the spokesperson to Governor Ademola Adeleke, Mr Olawale Rasheed, confirmed that over N1.3 billion due to the state local governments has not been released.

Rasheed, in an intervie,w accused the APC of occupying the council secretariats illegally, adding that the opposition chairmen were enjoying the backing of the federal government.

He said, “As a government, we are saddened by the situation. The non-release of more than ₦1.3 billion allocation is really affecting development at the grassroots. Our elected chairmen ought to have been working to better the lives of those at the grassroots, but the court-sacked APC chairmen are frustrating everything.

“The Yes or No APC chairmen have been sacked by the court and the Appeal Court did not reinstate them. They are only causing problems because they have the backing of the federal government but we believe that the rule of law will prevail. We are in court on the matter and very soon, we will get the victory.”

But the leader of the chairmen elected under the APC, Mr Abiodun Idowu, dismissed Olawale’s position, noting that the October 15, 2022, elected officials are the authentic council officials.

Idowu, in an interview, claimed that the APC-led council chairmen have been reinstated by the Appeal Court sitting in Akure and would spend their three years in office.

The APC ALGON chairma,n while warning against what it described as the ‘twisting of facts’ by the state government, added, “All the emotional blackmail by the state government cannot work. We are the authentic council chairmen and we are going to spend our term in office.”

When told that the situation is hindering development at the grassroots, Idowu said, “I just want to appeal to our people to bear with us for a little more. I know how it feels but once everything is settled, they will enjoy us.”

Meanwhile, residents have lamented the continued political tussle over the control of the local governments, calling for a lasting solution to the one-year crisis.

A resident of Ileogbo, headquarters of Ayedire local government, Alli Ibrahim, said the non-functioning of the council has negatively impacted the community.

“Our people are really suffering. We have schools without teachers, our roads are not good and farmers are not getting any help. Whenever we go to the council, the chairman and his people keep telling us that everything will be settled soon.

“It’s almost a year now and the situation is the same. Politicians should not sacrifice our well-being for their ego. The back-and-forth fight over the control of the local governments should stop now. When two elephants fight, the grass will suffer. We, the people at the grassroots, are the ones suffering from the supremacy battle going on between the two parties in the state,” Ibrahim stated.

In his own view, Mr Kayode Agbaje, an indigene of Ilase Ijesa in Obokun Local Government Area of Osun State, called for a political solution to the crisis, urging President Bola Tinubu to call the parties to resolve the problem.

Agbaje said, “I don’t think this problem is going away anytime soon, even though it is seriously affecting people at the grassroots, especially we farmers. We need a lot of help from the local government, which we cannot get now due to the unavailability of funds.

“I will advise that both parties should look for a political solution. President Bola Tinubu can call them together and resolve this issue for the benefit of those in the rural areas. We cannot continue like this. A year without functional local governments. That is too much sacrifice for the people to bear.”

Meanwhile, the families of two of the victims of the crisis have cried out for justice.

The victims, Segun Oloyede and Taiwo Oyebamij, were killed by hoodlums in Iragbiji, headquarters of Boripe Local Government, during the mayhem on February 17, 2025.

The father of late Segun, Mr Isreal Oloyede, while speaking at his residence in Aagba, alleged that Taiwo and his son were killed by political hoodlums.

Narrating how the incident happened, Mr Oloyede said, “What happened that day was that we heard that the governor wanted to come for a political rally to campaign for the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party for the Local Government election in Iragbiji and my son – Segun Oloyede and his friends went there to welcome him.

“It was at the point of waiting for the governor that some hoodlums started shooting. The hoodlums shot my son. My son was not the only one shot. The people who were shot were 15 in number. However, two of them died on their way to the hospital.

“He was my only son and since he was killed, things have not been the same and it is almost a year now but we have yet to get justice. The matter was reported at the state police Command but they did not do anything about it.”

“What I want is justice. My son should not die like that. The police should not release those who were arrested and ensure that Osogbo and others are also arrested and justice is served,” Mr Oloyede appealed.

In her words, Mrs Adijat Popoola, the aunt of the second victim, said Taiwo’s death has caused a lot of distress to the family.

Mrs Popoola who said the late Taiwo, an indigene of Iragbiji was an easy-going person, called on the police to fish out the perpetrators and ensure that they are brought to book.

She said, “Taiwo’s death has caused a lot of pain for us and the only thing we are begging for is justice. We want everyone involved in the killing of Taiwo to be arrested and made to face justice. The government should also assist the families of the victims and ensure justice.”

As the crisis rocking local government administration in Osun continues, residents and the world are watching with keen interest to see where the one-year political imbroglio will lead.

However, those at the grassroots would hope the crisis ends today with the council secretariats getting back lives and rural communities enjoying the dividends of democracy.