Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, on Monday called on the Inspector-General of Police and the Osun State Police Command to withdraw security protection from the APC-backed local government chairmen following a Federal High Court ruling dismissing their application for tenure elongation.
Speaking during a press briefing in Osogbo, Adeleke said the court’s decision had affirmed that the chairmen, popularly referred to as the “Yes/No chairmen,” lacked legal grounds to remain in office, insisting that any tenure they claimed expired in October 2025.
The governor described the judgment as a validation of constitutional provisions and existing judicial precedents against tenure elongation in public office.
“I congratulate our authentic elected chairmen on the court ruling today. The dismissal of the elongation request conforms with the stipulations of the constitution. The judgment further validates the precedent set by the Supreme Court ruling that tenure elongation is unconstitutional,” Adeleke said.
He further claimed that the court held that the chairmen had no legal basis to institute the suit, arguing that the ruling effectively ended any claim they might have to local government offices.
Following the judgment, Adeleke urged the Inspector-General of Police to direct the Osun State Police Command to discontinue what he described as support for the officials.
“I specifically direct the Commissioner of Police to stop providing further security cover for the illegal occupation of the council secretariats by the sacked chairmen,” he said.
The governor also accused the United Bank for Africa of collaborating with the officials over local government funds and demanded that the bank ensure that all council funds remain secured and properly accounted for.
According to him, the funds should be accessible only to legally recognised signatories and utilised for the payment of local government workers’ salaries, pensions and other entitlements.
Adeleke called on law enforcement agencies to facilitate what he described as the immediate restoration of duly elected local government chairmen across the state.
The governor also reacted to a separate Federal High Court judgment that reportedly deregistered some political parties, including the Accord Party, under whose platform he is seeking re-election.
He described the ruling as an affront to an earlier Court of Appeal order that had stayed proceedings in the matter until October, arguing that the lower court ought not to have proceeded with the case.
Adeleke said his legal team had commenced steps to challenge the judgment and expressed confidence that the party would remain on the ballot for the August 15 governorship election.
“The judgment cannot stay; Accord will be on the ballot; we will be on the ballot; and we will win resoundingly on August 15,” he said.
The governor urged residents to remain calm and support his re-election bid, insisting that attempts by political opponents to derail his campaign would not succeed.
