By John Dike, Osogbo
Osun State House of Assembly has challenged the All Progressives Congress (APC) to seek judicial interpretation if the party believes that the recently passed Osun State Integrated Transport, Traffic and Park Management System Bill, 2026, is unconstitutional.
The Assembly’s position followed a criticism by the Osun State chapter of the APC, which described the legislation as “legislative harakiri,” unenforceable and capable of causing crisis in the state.
The APC, through its spokesperson, Kola Olabisi, had demanded the immediate withdrawal of the bill, arguing that the regulation and management of motor parks fall within the functions of local government councils under Section 7(1) and the Fourth Schedule of the 1999 Constitution.
However, the Assembly rejected the party’s interpretation, describing it as a selective reading of the Constitution that failed to take into account the constitutional relationship between state governments and local government councils.
In a statement issued by the Chief Press Secretary to the Speaker, Olamide Tiamiyu, the Assembly maintained that Section 7(1) of the Constitution not only guarantees the existence of democratically elected local government councils but also places responsibilities on state governments concerning the legal framework for their establishment, structure, composition, finance and functions.
According to the lawmakers, the constitutional recognition of certain functions of local governments does not automatically deprive a state legislature of the authority to enact legislation affecting areas connected to local government administration.
The Assembly argued that the constitutional framework requires state and local governments to operate within an established legal structure and that the APC’s interpretation overlooked this relationship.
It further maintained that the bill went through the constitutionally prescribed legislative process before its passage.
The lawmakers specifically cited Section 100 of the 1999 Constitution in defending the legislative procedure followed in passing the bill.
The Assembly also questioned the APC’s decision to declare the legislation “dead on arrival” rather than allowing the constitutional and legal processes to determine its validity.
It therefore invited the opposition party to approach the courts if it remained convinced that the legislation violated the Constitution.
“If the APC genuinely believes that the law is unconstitutional, the courts are open to it,” the Assembly stated.
It added that if the APC considered its interpretation of the Constitution compelling, it should submit the issue to a court for determination rather than seek to establish the constitutional validity or otherwise of the legislation through press statements.
The controversy centres on the proposed framework for an Integrated Transport, Traffic and Park Management System in Osun, with the APC questioning the constitutional competence of the state to legislate in the area.
The latest exchange has therefore shifted the dispute from political statements to the question of whether either side will seek judicial interpretation of the relevant constitutional provisions.
The Assembly’s response came a day after the APC publicly called for the immediate withdrawal of the bill, setting the stage for further political and legal debate over the management of motor parks and transport administration in Osun State.
