Residents of Osun State are gripped by anxiety and fear as Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) elected chairmen and councillors move to resume fully at local government secretariats today (Monday).
OSUN DEFENDER gathered that the planned resumption could set them on a collision course with All Progressives Congress officials who insist they remain in charge of the councils.
It would be recalled that some PDP council officials elected on February 22, 2025, resumed at the secretariat last Friday.
OSUN DEFENDER reports that PDP chairmen in Ede North, Ede South, Ifelodun, Ila, Iwo, Boripe and a few other councils resumed on Friday with Mr Oladele Bamiji, the Deputy Spokesperson to the Osun State Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke, confirming their resumption.
Bamiji also confirmed that the PDP-elected local government chairmen in the state will resume their duties fully on Monday despite resistance at some council secretariats on Friday.
The resumption of the PDP chairmen followed the ruling of the Federal High Court in Osogbo, dismissing the APC suit seeking clarification on the end of tenure for the 2022 chairmen elected under the All Progressives Congress.
Speaking on the development, Bamiji said, “The PDP elected chairmen will resume fully next Monday by the grace of God, and they will all be there to perform their duty for which they were elected.
“The PDP will not be obeying the law if the chairman refuses to resume work as ordered by the Federal High Court.”
He insisted the PDP chairmen remain the legally recognised administrators in the state following the Federal High Court judgment.
But the APC local government chairmen and leaders of the party in the state accused the state government of deliberately instigating crises over the control of local councils in the state.
Addressing a press conference in Osogbo, Barrister Adegoke Ogunsola, who spoke on behalf of the party, alleged that the state government misinterpreted the judgment of the Federal High Court, Osogbo, in a manner capable of causing public disorder.
Ogunsola said the suit, filed by the APC chairmen and councillors on September 12, 2025, sought judicial interpretation of the commencement date of their tenure in office under relevant Osun State laws and noted that the court dismissed the case on June 15, 2026.
According to him, “the dismissal of the suit did not amount to validation of the local government elections allegedly conducted on February 22, 2025, as being claimed by the state government and its supporters.
“Sequel to the dismissal, the Osun State Government and its henchmen stormed the streets and began to foment avoidable crises by ascribing the dismissal of the suit to validation of the ruse being paraded as the outcome of local government elections purportedly held on February 22, 2025.”
Ogunsola disclosed that the Federal High Court judgment had already been appealed and that an application for stay of execution was filed on June 16, 2026, and served on all parties involved, including the police.
“To set the record straight, the judgment of the FHC that they want to utilise to enthrone themselves is the subject of an appeal, with an application for stay of execution dated and filed on June 16, 2026, and which has been served on the parties,” he stated.
Ogunsola also cited a portion of the court judgment which, according to him, affirmed that the tenure of the elected chairmen and councillors ran from October 2022 to October 2025.
Quoting from the ruling, Ogunsola said, “No matter the interruptions or interjections in the tenure of the elected public officer after subscription to the oath of office and oath of allegiance, the expiration date of the said tenure remains the same as per the Constitution or the statute.”
He argued that the court’s pronouncement implied that the local government elections and subsequent swearing-in ceremony conducted by the state government in February 2025 were null and void, adding that the matter had already been placed before the Court of Appeal.
Meanwhile, the Osun State Police Command has warned politicians and their supporters against any act capable of disrupting public peace.
Police spokesman in the state, Abiodun Ojelabi, in a statement, said the command was closely monitoring developments and cautioned against forceful occupation of council secretariats.
“The command will not hesitate to take decisive action against any individual or group that attempts to disrupt the peace or violate the law. All parties concerned have been duly advised,” Ojelabi warned.
OSUN DEFENDER gathered that residents fear a repeat of the February 17, 2025 violence that left several people dead, including the former Chairman of Irewole Local Government, Remi Abass.
Abass was killed by hoodlums at the entrance of the Irewole council secretariat in Ikire when APC and PDP supporters clashed over control of the council.
Police said six people were killed and many others were hospitalised in the statewide clashes that day.
Amid the rising tension, a Civil Society group, Centre for Social Justice and Public Protection, has called on both APC and PDP to sheathe their swords and avoid plunging Osun into another crisis.
The coordinator of the group, Mr Akin Akanji, while speaking with OSUN DEFENDER yesterday said, “What Osun needs now is peace, not another round of bloodshed at our council secretariats. Both parties must respect the rule of law and allow the courts to settle this matter finally.
“The lives of ordinary citizens who only want to go about their lawful business must not be sacrificed on the altar of political supremacy. We urge APC and PDP leaders to caution their supporters and embrace dialogue instead of confrontation,” he noted.
Mrs Romoke Adeoye, a trader at Oja-Oba Market in Osogbo, said the memories of February 2025 violence still haunts her, urging political parties and their supporters to exercise restraint and not plunge the state into another crisis.
“We are still remembering what happened in February last year when people were killed. Government and politicians should remember that the poor people are the ones who suffer when they fight.
“I beg APC and PDP to allow peace to reign so our children can go to school, and we can sell our goods without fear. If they have court judgments, let the law take its course instead of using force at the secretariats. Osun people need peace more than political power,” Adeoye stated.
Another resident, Mr Lawal Raji, a commercial motorcyclist in Ile-Ife said, “Nobody should bring violence again. We don’t want bloodshed in Osun. Politicians should settle their differences in court and leave ordinary people alone. We are tired of fear and tension every time. Let there be understanding so we can all move forward.”
Olamilekan Adigun is a graduate of Mass Communication with years of experience in journalism embedded in uncovering human interest stories. He also prioritises accuracy and factual reportage of issues.
