By John Dike, Osogbo
At last, the Supreme Court on Friday declared the Local Government Chairmen elected on February 22, this year as the de jure and defacto Osun State Local Government Chairmen, thus ending the dispute that has for several months grounded councils administration in the state.
It added that those chairmen, who won the 2025 local government elections and have since been inaugurated, are the legally recognized officials with the right to sue and be sued.
Also, the court upheld the earlier Court of Appeal judgment, and relied on its prior decisions that barred state governments from administering local government allocations.
Besides, in its landmark decision, the apex court ruled that only local government chairmen elected after the exit of former Governor Gboyega Oyetola have the legal standing to challenge the handling of Osun’s local government allocations.
The court affirmed that only Local Government Areas, not state governments, can institute such cases, noting that the proper dispute should be between the LGAs and the Attorney General of the Federation.
The court further stated that chairmen elected after the nullification of the Oyetola era local government elections ought to have filed the suit.
The appellate court had earlier affirmed the mandate of the chairmen elected on February 22, 2025, who were subsequently sworn in by Governor Ademola Adeleke.
Emphasizing its stance on upholding local government autonomy, the Supreme Court held that the Osun State Attorney General cannot act on behalf of an already elected local government leadership.
The six-to-one judgment suggests that the duly elected LG chairmen must now decide whether to pursue the matter directly as the affected parties or rely on ongoing cases to present the issue again before the Supreme Court.
Legal experts at the hearing explained that the judgment effectively reaffirms the Court of Appeal’s position recognizing the 2025 elected chairmen.
“I think the Supreme Court has just pointed out the way out of the imbroglio.
The people affected are those they call ‘sit-at-home chairmen.’ They should have been the ones to bring the case.
This implies that the Supreme Court has recognized the 2025 elected chairmen.
It also implies confirmation that only one set of LG leadership exists today, and that is the 2025 set.
“Also, the ruling sustains the order on banks never to release money to any fake chairmen.
“It means the ‘Yes/No’ people who had no tenure in the first place can never touch the money.
“So what is next is for the authentic ALGON to rise to the occasion and push for their rights,” one of the legal analysts said.
Meanwhile, Governor Ademola Adeleke has reportedly congratulated the elected chairmen and councillors following the pronouncement.
The governor was said to have personally called the Chairman of Osun ALGON, Hon. Sarafadeen Awotunde (Spain), shortly after the judgment, describing the outcome as “a big plus for grassroots democracy.”
“Mr. Governor has congratulated ALGON on the outcome. He told us to be happy that finally our mandate has been affirmed by the Supreme Court.
“The Governor asked Spain to tell his people to give glory to God. Today, Spain-led ALGON remains the authentic LG leadership according to the apex court,” a chairman who was with Spain confirmed.
In a separate statement, the leadership and members of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), Osun State Chapter, hailed the Supreme Court’s verdict as a welcome development and a reaffirmation that “the judiciary remains the last hope of the common man.”
In the statement signed by its Chairman, Hon. Abiodun Idowu, ALGON congratulated the citizens and residents of Osun State, reiterating its commitment to good governance, grassroots development, and democratic values.
The group described the judgment as a victory for democracy and “freedom from the shackles of retrogression and backwardness” allegedly caused by what it called the “malfeasance and visionless policies” of Governor Adeleke’s administration.
ALGON attributed the legal victory to the resilience and dedication of party members, while also commending President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for steering Nigeria back toward “the path of greatness,” as well as APC leaders including Chief Bisi Akande, Minister of Marine and Blue Economy Adegboyega Oyetola, and State Chairman Sooko Tajudeen Lawal.
Hon. Idowu praised ALGON members for their unwavering solidarity, saying:
“This is a victory for democracy, good governance, and the common man on the streets of Osun. We commend the judiciary in general and the Justices of the Supreme Court in particular for this sound judgment that has finally put an end to the protracted litigations over the control of our councils in Osun.”
He added that ALGON remains committed to driving socioeconomic and infrastructural development across Osun’s councils, stating that the group is determined to “resuscitate the dearth and inflictions” allegedly caused by the current administration.
