- says illegal tenure expired October 2025
By John Dike, Osogbo
Osun Democrats for Democracy (ODD) has warned the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its so-called yes/no local government chairmen to stay away from all council secretariats across Osun State as workers resume duties on Monday.
It gave the waning in a statement on Sunday by Adeyefa Adeyemo, its Director of Operations and Public Affairs, and made available to journalists.
The group said the opposition’s alleged attempt to reclaim control of local governments amounts to an open celebration of illegality and a threat to democratic governance.
“We find the opposition’s open celebration and glorification of illegality, unconstitutionality, and brazen impunity extremely disturbing, reprehensible, and unacceptable to all well-meaning people of Osun State,” the statement said.
ODD questioned the legal basis upon which the APC-backed chairmen are laying claim to local government leadership in the state.
It asked, “Under what law or authority are the so-called yes/no chairmen laying claim to the leadership of local governments in Osun State?”
The statement recalled that the court judgment which nullified the local government election conducted under the administration of former Governor Gboyega Oyetola remains valid and subsisting, as affirmed by various court records.
“Consequently, the yes/no chairmen have no valid tenure whatsoever to lay claim to,” ODD declared.
The group further stated that even if, without conceding, the chairmen were assumed to have had any tenure at all, such tenure expired in October 2025, a position it described as undisputed.
ODD added that no court of competent jurisdiction has granted any extension of tenure to the chairmen, stressing that the filing of a suit does not amount to a court order.
“This is a settled position of law, as also corroborated by filings of the Attorney-General of the Federation at the apex court,” the statement noted.
Describing the conduct of the chairmen as unconstitutional, ODD said their actions amount to a flagrant breach of the Constitution, a violation of extant laws, and a repudiation of democratic principles.
The group accused the Osun APC and its supporters of abandoning democracy and embracing anarchy by laying claim to public offices without lawful authority.
ODD also noted that the alleged protection previously enjoyed by the chairmen from security agencies has been withdrawn, citing a directive by the Nigeria Police Force warning politicians to stay away from local government secretariats.
The group commended the Inspector-General of Police for what it described as a bold, timely, and patriotic action.
Calling for wider attention, ODD urged Nigerians and the international community to take note of what it described as a deliberate assault on grassroots democracy in Osun State.
“The world must know that a daring assault on democracy is taking place within the Osun local government system,” the statement said.
As the country moves into 2026, the group called on the Federal Government to urgently review its approach to the Osun local government crisis, warning that the situation has become a national embarrassment attracting local and international attention.
ODD also appealed to the Presidency to rein in individuals allegedly invoking the name of the Federal Government to undermine grassroots development in Osun State.
“We appeal to all lovers of democracy across critical capitals of the world to activate their attention to this ongoing assault on democracy in Osun State,” the statement said.
