Security agencies in Osun State on Tuesday deployed their operatives to protect local government secretariats following a judgement of the Court of Appeal sitting in Akure, capital of Ondo State over the dissolution of elected local government chairmen in Osun.
There has been confusion in the state over the judgment by the Court of Appeal, Akure Division, which ruled in favour of elected chairmen and councillors under the platform of the All Progressives Congress from the October 15, 2022 local government elections in the state.
However, stakeholders including Osun State Independent Electoral Commission, APC, and the Peoples Democratic Party have adopted different interpretations for the verdict of the appellate court.
For the chairman of the Osun APC, Tajudeen Lawal, said the judgement of the Court of Appeal Court on Monday, reinstated the elected council chairmen and councillors, announcing that the affected council bosses would resume their offices and that the planned February 22, 2025 local government elections would no longer hold.
Speaking at a press conference, OSSIEC Chairman, Hashim Abioye, insisted that the council polls in the state will proceed as planned, despite opposition from the sacked council chairmen of the APC.
Abioye clarified that the judgment by the Court of Appeal did not include a specific order reinstating them to office.
Also, Osun State Government, through its Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, warned the sacked chairmen against resuming offices and directed security agencies to arrest anyone who wants to access the secretariats.
Meanwhile, checks by The Point across some LG secretariats showed that some security operatives in uniform have been stationed within and outside the government offices to prevent any break down of law and order.
As at 11:30am on Tuesday when our correspondent monitored activities at the council secretariats, it was discovered that that regular activities were going on unhindered while security personnel including men of the Nigeria Police Force, Amotekun Corps, and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps guarded the edifices.
Besides, some members of the ruling PDP and opposition APC have demonstrated publicly in celebration of the Court of Appeal verdict.
APC members in Ede North thronged their party secretariact and started dancing and singing, claiming that the party now governs local government administration in the state following the recent Appeal Court judgement.
Similarly, members of PDP in Ifedayo Local Government jubilated around the town, saying election would hold as planned.
When contacted by The Point on Tuesday, the Public Relations Officer of Osun Amotekun Corps, Yusuf Idowu, said the agency deployed its personnel to maintain order in all the council offices in the state, adding that, “as at this time I am speaking with you, everywhere is peaceful.”
Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Yemisi Opalola and his counterpart from the NSCDC, Kehinde Adeleke were not available for comments as at the time of filing this report.
