The conduct of local government election in Osun State by the Governor Ademola Adeleke-led administration against the advice of the federal government and the police was the culmination of weeks of violence, tension and anxiety in the State of the Living Spring as battle for the soul of the local governments intensifies.

The state has witnessed widespread violence in the last couple of weeks as the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) battle for the control of local governments.

It would be recalled that on October 16, 2022, after his defeat in the July 16 governorship election, the then Governor of the state, Alhaji Adegboyega Oyetola who is the current Minister of Marine and Blue Economy conducted local government election.

PDP boycotted that election and all candidates of APC were returned elected. PDP ran to court and the Federal High Court in Osogbo on November 25, 2022 nullified the election. The chairmen and councillors elected on the platform of the APC vacated the office and ran to the Appeal Court, Akure in Ondo State.

The new Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke appointed PDP members as Caretaker Committee chairmen in all the local government councils in the state but when the Supreme Court delivered its judgement on local government autonomy in the case between the federal and state governments, Adeleke dissolved the local government caretaker committees and set machineries in place for the conduct of local government election.

The Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSIEC) announced the commencement of the process and parties submitted their nominations. Campaign was ongoing and parties, including APC were warming up for the election until February 10, 2025 when Appeal Court delivered its judgement on the appeal filed by APC sacked chairmen and councillors.

In the ruling, the appellate court upturned the decision of the Federal High Court and allowed the appeal of the appellants.

But the state government said the reinstated the chairmen and councillors could not resume duty due to another subsisting judgement of the Federal High Court, Osogbo in a suit filed by the Action People Party (APP), which also sacked the chairmen and councillors.

Though, the APC and the sacked chairmen and councilors did not appeal the High Court judgement in the APP case, another party, APM filed the appeal but abandoned it and the Appeal Court dismissed the case since the appellants, APC did not follow it up.

The state government said with the dismissal of that appeal of APM, the judgement of the Federal High Court on the APP subsists and it is binding on all parties.

The governor, his Commissioners for Justice, Barrister Jimi Baba and his information counterpart, Barrister Kolapo Alimi at a press conference said the appeal court did not make consequential order returning the sacked chairmen and councillors and vowed to prevent them from coming back on the ground of the High Court subsisting ruling in the APP suit.

Sending danger and possibility of anarchy in all the local governments, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) directed local government workers across the state to stay away from the secretariats for their safety.

Last week, the reinstated chairmen and councillors turned deaf hear to government position and proceeded to the local government council secretariats to implement the judgement they got from the Appeal Court.

The PDP members did not allow the chairmen and councillors to enter the local government council secretariats and this led to bloody clash penultimate Monday. In Irewole Local Government, Ikire, the chairman, Remi Abass was killed while five PDP members were also killed. Many people sustained serious injury and there was tension across the state even as the state government insisted on going ahead with the election.

The federal government through the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, kicked against the conduct of LG election in the state, saying by virtue of the Appellate Court judgement, there is no vacancy in the LGs. The police also advised the government against going ahead with the polls but the state government ignored the police advisory.

On Saturday, OSIEC conducted the election. Though, the election was peaceful, most residents said they could not vote because electoral officers did not show up in their polling centers. The exercise witnessed low turnout of voters in most parts of the state.

The Governor of the State, Senator Nurudeen Ademola Jackson Adeleke voted at Unit 9, Ward 2 in Ede North Local Government Area at 8am. Speaking after casting vote, the governor said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is a true democrat with huge democratic credentials, submitting that his administration has all along been very supportive and collaborative with the federal government.

The voting ended at past 10 in the morning and the election was concluded around 11am. In the result of polling unit 19 and 20 Ward 4 Osogbo LG, the PDP got 153 votes while APC got three votes. Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Teslim Igbalaye commended the people of Osogbo for conducting themselves peacefully during the election.

Meanwhile, APC announced its withdrawal from the election, insisting that the chairmen and councillors elected in the last local government election in the state have not completed their tenure given the February 10 judgement of the Court of Appeal, Akure that upturned the judgement of Federal High Court, Osogbo that sacked them from office.

After the election, on Saturday, the Chairman of OSSIEC, Hashim Abioye, announced that PDP won all the chairmanship and councillorship seats in all the 30 local government areas (LGAs) in Osun State. He said the election was successfully concluded in compliance with constitutional provisions, extant laws, regulations and guidelines.

On Sunday morning, Governor Adeleke swore in the PDP chairmen at the Government House in Osogbo. After the swearing in, the governor told the new chairmen and councillors to stay away from the Local Government council secretariats as APC directed the reinstated chairmen and councillors to return to the council secretariats on Monday.

Governor Adeleke said the state electoral body complied with all extant rules and procedures which led to the emergence of new local government chairmen and councillors.

Governors of Bauchi and Oyo States, Bala Muhammed and Seyi Makinde who were at the swearing in of the PDP chairmen and councillors said they were in Osogbo in solidarity with Adeleke on the local government issue.

Governor Makinde cautioned against political violence in Osun State and South West and called on President Tinubu to stop using federal might in Osun.

But in a dramatic turn of events, the APC chairmen returned to the local government council secretariats unhindered and took charge fully on Monday.

While occupying their offices at their council secretariats, the APC chairmen issued 72-hour ultimatum to local government workers to resume to their duty posts or get query.

The reinstated chairman, Ede South Local Government, Kola Salami ordered the local government staff in his local government to resume immediately.

The former Special Adviser on Education to former Governor, Adegboyega Oyetola, Mr Jamiu Olawumi told our correspondent that all APC chairmen and councillors resumed unhindered across all 30 local government areas of the state.

APC Legal Adviser Chief Adegoke Ogunsola said the return of the APC chairmen and councillors to the local governments was in order given the judgement of the Appeal Court that reinstated them.

Meanwhile, to ensure safety of lives and properties across the state, the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Kayode Egbetokun deployed more policemen to the state upon the request for reinforcement by the Osun State Police Command.

Our correspondent learnt that the decision of the newly elected chairmen and councillors to stay away from the councils despite their inauguration was to avoid a breakdown of law and order which might prompt a declaration of state of emergency by the federal government.

Speaking with our correspondent last night, the Chief Press Secretary to Adeleke, Rasheed Olawale, said, “We don’t want any fight because six people died last week and their families are mourning. Many people sustained gunshot injuries and we want to avoid such a thing.”

He said the people should watch out for the next line of action, adding, “What is important is that we have restored peace in Osun. The Staff are not with them, the state is not with them and the law is not with them. Today no single incident but you should watch out for the next step.”

While the controversy rages on, local government administration in the state is in disarray, as workers are in dilemma as to whether to resume or not.