An Osun State High Court sitting in Ilesa today held that vacancies exist in all the 30 local government areas in the state and mandated the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission to fill the offices.
Justice Adeyinka Aderibigbe, while ruling on a motion on notice filed by the Peoples Democratic Party in a suit number HIL/M/.192025 against Osun State Electoral Commission and Hashim Abioye, the OSSIEC chairman, also directed law enforcement agencies to provide security during and after the local government election, reports The PUNCH.
Aderibigbe held that vacancies exist in Osun LGs after the election conducted by OSSIEC on October 15, 2022, was invalidated by the Federal High Court FHC/CS/OS/103/2022; in Action Peoples Party VS Independent National Electoral Commission & ors. delivered on November 30, 2022.
He also said the judgment of the Federal High Court was confirmed by the decision of the Court of Appeal in Appeal No. CA/AK/226M/2024, Allied People Movement & ORS vs Action Peoples Party & ORS delivered on January 13, 2025.
The order dated Friday, February 21, 2025, partly read, “1. An order of this honourable court is granted, recognising the existing vacancies across all the 30 Local Government Areas of Osun State, the election conducted by the first defendant on 15th October 2022, having being invalidated, nullified and voided, and the purported elected officials produced by the purported election having been sacked by the Federal High Court FHC/CS/OS/103/2022; in ACTION PEOPLE PARTY (APP) VS INDEPENDENT NATIONAL ELECTORAL COMMISSION (INEC) & ors. delivered on the 30th November 2022, and as confirmed by the decision of the Court of Appeal in Appeal No. CA/AK/226M/2024, ALLIED PEOPLE MOVEMENT (APM) & ORS vs ACTION PEOPLES PARTY (APP) & ORS delivered on 13th January 2025.
“2. An order of this honourable court is granted, directing, mandating and compelling the defendants to fill the vacancies across the 30 Local Government Areas of Osun State through a democratic process by proceeding to conduct the Local Government ELECTIONS already scheduled by the defendants for 22nd of February, 2025.
“3. An order of this honourable court is granted, directing, mandating and compelling all the security agents comprising of the Nigeria Police, the Nigerian Army, the Department of State Security Services (DSS), the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), the National Drugs and Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), the Amotekun Corps, the Vigilante Groups etc. to provide adequate security and maintain peace and order before, during and after the local government election scheduled by the Defendants for February 22, 2025, in Osun State.”
