Members of the Osun State Chapter of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) and concerned political stakeholders have accused the state government of deliberately inducing crisis and misinterpreting court judgments over the ongoing local government leadership dispute in the state.
The allegations were made on Friday at a press conference held at the Ileri Oluwa House, Ogo-Oluwa area, Osogbo, and addressed by Barrister (Chief) Adegoke Ogunsola.
The group said the controversy stems from a Federal High Court judgment delivered on June 15, 2026 in Suit No. FHC/OS/CS/147/2025, which it said has been wrongly interpreted by the state government and members of its political allies.
According to them, the judgment, which dismissed a suit filed by reinstated local government chairmen and councillors of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has been wrongly presented as validation of the outcome of a disputed local government election allegedly held on February 22, 2025.
The group accused the state government of escalating tensions by “storming the streets” and creating what it described as avoidable political disturbances following the ruling.
They also alleged that the government had called on the Nigeria Police to provide security for individuals it described as elected local government officials, a move the group faulted as premature and capable of undermining due process.
“It is important to state that this conduct is not only embarrassing but capable of plunging the state into avoidable chaos,” Ogunsola said.
The group maintained that the matter is still subject to appeal, noting that an application for stay of execution was filed on June 16, 2026 and duly served on relevant parties.
They argued that enforcement actions should be halted pending the outcome of appellate proceedings, insisting that all parties must respect the right of appeal guaranteed under the Constitution.
ALGON further claimed that individuals it described as “self-appointed chairmen and councillors” were not parties to the original suit and therefore could not derive any legal benefit from the judgment being referenced.
The group also warned that attempts to enforce the disputed interpretation of the ruling without waiting for appellate decisions could trigger a breakdown of law and order.
Quoting parts of the judgment, the group insisted that the court had affirmed that the tenure of the affected local government officials ended in October 2025, arguing that any attempt to extend or alter that timeline had no legal basis.
They further maintained that the February 2025 local government election being referenced by the state government was invalid, describing it as a “nullity” carried out during the subsistence of the previous tenure.
The group accused the state government of disregarding the rule of law and called on political actors to exercise restraint and allow the judicial process to run its full course.
It urged residents of the state to remain calm and continue their lawful activities, while also calling on security agencies including the police, DSS, and Civil Defence Corps to maintain professionalism in handling the situation.
ALGON warned that any breakdown of law and order arising from the dispute should not be attributed to citizens, but to actions that disregard due legal processes.
The press conference ended with a call for peace and confidence in the judiciary to resolve all outstanding issues surrounding the local government leadership dispute in Osun State.
