The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State has criticised Governor Ademola Adeleke and the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the “shameful and misleading” celebration of the recent Court of Appeal ruling on the status of local government councils in the state.
PDP spokesman, Kola Olabisi, in a statement on Saturday, described the celebration as a desperate attempt at self-consolation and political propaganda.
He alleged that since taking office on November 27, 2022, Adeleke’s administration has been marked by policy inconsistency, governance missteps, and administrative confusion.
To him, the recent celebration by the PDP over the June 13, 2025, Court of Appeal ruling was based on a misinterpretation of the court’s obiter dictum — a judicial remark not essential to the case and therefore not legally binding.
His words, “The PDP and its supporters celebrated an obiter dictum as if it were a legal victory.
“They deliberately ignored the fact that it holds no binding authority.
“The ruling merely dismissed an application to relist a previously withdrawn appeal, and made no pronouncement reversing the valid judgment of February 10, 2025, which reinstated the APC-elected local government officials.”
Besides, the APC insisted that the February 10 ruling remains valid and binding, having declared the sack of the elected chairmen and councillors by the Adeleke administration as illegal.
The party expressed dismay at what it called “coordinated misinformation” by the PDP, aimed at misleading the public and covering up the party’s failure to challenge the February judgment at the Supreme Court.
“If the PDP truly believed it had a case, why didn’t it approach the Supreme Court to overturn the February 10 judgment? Instead, it resorted to forum shopping and celebrated a non-binding judicial comment,” the APC queried.
The party also criticised the Chairman of the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSSIEC) for openly aligning with the PDP, thereby compromising his supposed neutrality.
“The OSSIEC Chairman, who ought to be an impartial umpire, has now become an active mouthpiece of the Adeleke administration. His comments on various media platforms clearly suggest he is no longer fit to hold that position,” the statement added.
Clarifying the legal implications, the APC explained that obiter dictum — Latin for “a remark made in passing” — does not override the ratio decidendi (legal reasoning) of a case and does not constitute a legal precedent.
“The June 13 ruling dismissed the relisting application on technical grounds, not on merit. The court explicitly said it would not review its earlier decision in Appeal No. CA/AK/270/2022, thereby affirming that the February 10 judgment still stands,” the party said.
The APC further commended its reinstated chairmen and councillors for remaining focused despite distractions, urging them to continue their grassroots governance efforts.
It warner the PDP and its media handlers to stop misleading the public, reminding them that no court has validated the controversial PDP-organised local government elections of February 22, 2025.
The APC insisted: “It is shameful that instead of respecting the rule of law, the PDP has resorted to misinformation and propaganda.
“The facts are clear — the February 10 judgment has not been overturned, and the Court of Appeal did not validate the PDP’s illegal election”.
