Osun LG Crisis: Only Supreme Court Can Invalidate Appeal Court Verdict On Reinstated Excos — APC Warns Adeleke Administration
| Osogbo | June 23, 2025
The Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has stated unequivocally that only the Supreme Court of Nigeria has the legal power to invalidate the recent judgment of the Court of Appeal which ordered the reinstatement of elected local government officials sacked by Governor Ademola Adeleke’s administration in 2022.
The statement, issued by the Osun APC Chairman, Sooko Tajudeen Lawal, during a press briefing in Osogbo on Monday, condemned what he described as a deliberate attempt by the state government to undermine the rule of law and the authority of the judiciary.
The local government crisis in Osun State began shortly after Governor Adeleke of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) assumed office in November 2022. One of his first executive actions was the immediate dissolution of all elected local government councils, citing irregularities in the election conducted by the outgoing APC administration in October 2022.
However, the sacked chairmen and councillors, under the aegis of the Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON), challenged the dissolution in court, describing it as arbitrary and unconstitutional. After a prolonged legal battle, the Court of Appeal in Abuja ruled in May 2025 that their removal was unlawful and ordered their immediate reinstatement.
Addressing journalists, Lawal emphasized that the Court of Appeal’s ruling is final and binding, unless reversed by the Supreme Court. He accused the Adeleke administration of disobedience to lawful judicial orders and warned that continued refusal to reinstate the officials could provoke a constitutional crisis.
“The verdict of the Court of Appeal has restored the mandate of the democratically elected local government officials. Any defiance of that ruling is not only contemptuous but a direct assault on the sanctity of the judiciary and democracy itself,” Lawal said.
“Let it be known that only the Supreme Court has the authority to review or overturn the decision of the Court of Appeal. Any other act of resistance is illegal and must be resisted by every democratic means,” he added.
Lawal also accused the governor of politicizing local governance, insisting that the APC-backed council officials were validly elected and should be allowed to complete their tenure.
In a swift reaction, the Osun State Government said it had received the Appeal Court ruling but was studying the judgment through its legal team. Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General of the state, Barr. Wole Jimi-Bada, stated that the government was concerned about the legal foundation of the 2022 local government elections, which were held in defiance of a subsisting court order at the time.
“We are reviewing the implications of the ruling. It is important to remember that the elections that brought in the APC councillors were conducted despite a restraining court order. This cannot be ignored,” the commissioner said.
He further noted that the state government would decide on the appropriate legal response in line with the provisions of the constitution and the interest of peace and stability in the state.
The unfolding crisis has drawn reactions from legal experts, civil society groups, and political observers, many of whom have urged the state government to comply with the Appeal Court’s directive.
Constitutional lawyer, Barr. Uche Ibe, described the refusal to obey the appellate court’s judgment as “an erosion of the rule of law.”
“There is a dangerous trend where elected governments cherry-pick which court orders to obey. This is unacceptable. The Adeleke administration should obey first and appeal if it so wishes,” Ibe said.
Human rights activist and Executive Director of the Centre for Democracy and Legal Order, Fatima Olanrewaju, said the impasse could further weaken public trust in the judiciary and the electoral process.
“If democratically elected council officials can be sacked at will and valid court judgments are not obeyed, then there’s little hope for grassroots democracy in Nigeria,” she warned.
As the controversy deepens, political analysts warn that the Osun LG crisis could serve as a test case for constitutional compliance at the sub-national level. They argue that failure to resolve the matter swiftly and lawfully could lead to governance paralysis in the 30 local government areas of the state.
Meanwhile, the reinstated chairmen have vowed to resume office in line with the court ruling, raising fears of confrontation if security agencies do not enforce the judgment.
The APC has called on President Bola Tinubu, the National Judicial Council (NJC), and the Inspector-General of Police to intervene and ensure that justice is not only done but seen to be done.
As it stands, all eyes are now on Governor Adeleke and his administration to decide whether to uphold the principle of rule of law or face legal and political consequences in what is fast becoming a defining moment in Osun’s democratic journey
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