Osun

No Court Ordered Reinstatement Of APC Council Officials – OSSIEC Boss

ByOlamilekan Adigun

PublishedJune 18, 2025

Condemns AGF, IGP ‘Partisan’ Stance

The chairman of the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSSIEC), Barrister Hashim Abioye, has stated that the Appeal court judgement of 10th February 2025 did not order the reinstatement of the sacked APC council chairmen and councillors.

This was as he said the certificates of return of the APC council chairmen were withdrawn after they were sacked by the Federal High Court in 2022, adding that the respective certificates of return remain withdrawn till date.

The OSSIEC boss, while addressing journalists at the Commission headquarters on Wednesday, said the Court of Appeal ruling of 13th June 2025 also affirmed the sacking of APC council chairmen.

According to him, “Nowhere in the judgement of 10th February, 2025 was an order of reinstatement made as there was no finding on the status of the election purportedly conducted by the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSSIEC) in 2022 in the said judgement.

“The only subsisting and binding judgement is that of the Federal High Court dated 30th November 2022 which was a judgement in rem which has been affirmed by the Court of Appeal and further strengthened by the most recent decision of the Court of Appeal dated 13th June 2025, which is the latest on the status of the purported 2022 local government election.

“By the effect of the Federal High Court judgment dated 30th November 2022, which was affirmed by the Court of Appeal decision of 13th January 2025 and further solidified by the most recent decision of the Court of Appeal of 13th June 2025, the purported beneficiaries of the said election remain sacked.”

“I need to add further that immediately after the sack of the products of the 2022 Local Government election by the Federal High Court, in 2022, this Commission withdrew their respective certificates of return. As at today, the fact remains that there has not been any court order reversing or upturning the status quo, and as such, those respective certificates of return remain withdrawn till date.

“There has been no justifiable legal ground or compelling situation to re-issue same to the sacked local government officials, nor there has arisen any special circumstance to warrant a revalidation of the said certificates, nor is there any justification for the sacked officials to continue to parade themselves as elected officials,” Abioye stated.

The OSSIEC boss added that “Certificates of Return have been issued to February 22 local government election elected council Chairmen and Councillors.”

Abioye called stakeholders to condemn the alleged forceful takeover of council offices by the APC council chairmen.

He also condemned the alleged “partisan and biased” stance of the Attorney General of the Federation and the Inspector-General of Police “who have lent their powers and authority to back the illegal act of the hijackers without any justification.”

“As at today I make bold to say, without any equivocation, that the only legitimate political authority over Osun local council today are the products of February 2025 local government election conducted by this Commission which has never suffered any legal defect nor judicial nullification as against that of 2022 which has been nullified.

“We have notified the appropriate authorities, including the Osun State Ministry of Local Government, the Osun State Local Government Service Commission, the Central Bank of Nigeria, amongst others, of this sacrosanct position so as to be properly guided.

“I have gone this lane of a voyage to prompt reasonable people, legal experts, lovers of democracy, and most especially critical stakeholders to rise to the occasion and in one loud voice condemn the act of brigandage, illegality, and forceful takeover of our local council offices by the sacked officials.

“We all must condemn the partisan and biased stance of the Attorney General of the Federation and the Inspector-General of Police who have lent their powers and authority to back the illegal act of the hijackers without any justification. These sacked officials have summoned the shameless boldness, even after losing gallantly in court on 13th June, 2025, to still go back to the local council offices forcefully, posing open threat and menace to the public, sharing bottles of alcoholic drinks in such a rude and crude manner, grandstanding in public properties. What for!” he noted.

Olamilekan Adigun

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.