Court Never Ordered Reinstatement Of Sacked Osun LG Chairmen – PDP
The Osun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has dismissed claims by the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) that the Court of Appeal ordered the reinstatement of the local government chairmen elected in the controversial Yes or No council poll held on October 15, 2022.
In a statement signed by its Chairman, Hon. Sunday Bisi, the PDP described the APC’s assertion as a blatant falsehood aimed at misleading the public and forcefully imposing itself on the people of Osun State through undemocratic means.
“The public can bear witness that the judgement the APC is misrepresenting is nothing but a ruse to justify its insurrection and illegally take control of the councils,” the PDP statement read.
“While it is true that the Court of Appeal delivered a ruling on 10th February 2025 in an appeal filed by the APC, nowhere in the judgement was any order given for the reinstatement of the sacked council officials, contrary to the lies being peddled by the APC.”
According to the PDP, of the four issues presented before the Court of Appeal, only two which centred on the suit and its amendment were addressed.
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The party stressed that the court deliberately ignored the other two issues concerning the validity of the election, in line with past Supreme Court decisions on the matter.
“To make matters worse for the APC, the purported Yes or No election was conducted for 69 local government chairmen, including those in the now-abolished Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs). The Supreme Court had, in July 2024, ruled against the creation of LCDAs, making it impossible for the Court of Appeal to reinstate officials from that discredited election without contradicting the highest court in the land,” the statement continued.
The PDP further noted that a valid Federal High Court judgement in suit no. FHC/OS/CS/103/2025 had already invalidated the 15th October 2022 election. This ruling, which the APC attempted to appeal, was dismissed by the Appeal Court on 13th January 2025 due to what the court described as “APC’s abandonment of its appeal.”
The ruling party accused the APC of desperation, saying, “The APC’s current antics are nothing but a crude attempt to deceive the people and manipulate federal institutions into forcefully taking over the councils.”
The PDP vowed to resist what it termed an attempt to subvert the rule of law, insisting that there were two subsisting judgements invalidating the election that brought the sacked officials into office.
“We will not succumb to the antics of the APC to circumvent the law. As a responsible political party, we remain committed to upholding the rule of law and will not allow the opposition to manipulate the judicial process for its selfish gains,” the party declared.
The PDP reaffirmed its readiness to participate in the upcoming local government election, stressing that more than 12 political parties had already registered with the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSSIEC) for the exercise, which was scheduled in line with the law requiring a 365-day notice for such polls.
“As a lawful party, we are prepared to defend our rights within the confines of the law. No amount of threats or misinformation from the APC will deter us from standing with the people of Osun State,” the statement concluded.
Sodiq Lawal is a passionate and dedicated journalist with a knack for uncovering captivating stories in the bustling metropolis of Osun State and Nigeria at large. He has a versatile reporting style, covering a wide range of topics, from politics , campus, and social issues to arts and culture, seeking impact in all facets of the society.
