Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke has called on the Inspector General of Police to direct the state police command to withdraw security protection from the All Progressives Congress-aligned local government chairmen, following a ruling of the Federal High Court in Osogbo.
Addressing journalists in Osogbo, Governor Adeleke said the court had dismissed an application seeking tenure elongation for the chairmen and ruled that they lacked the legal standing to institute the suit.
He said the judgment affirmed constitutional provisions and previous judicial pronouncements against tenure extension.
The governor also congratulated the duly elected local government chairmen, saying the ruling validated their position.
“The dismissal of the elongation request conforms with the stipulations of the constitution.
The judgment further validates the precedent set by the Supreme Court ruling that tenure elongation is unconstitutional,” he said.
Adeleke, who stated that the court held that the chairmen had no legal foundation to file the case and argued that any tenure they may have had expired in October 2025, subsequently urged the Nigeria Police Force to withdraw security cover for the chairmen.
The governor said, “I specifically direct the Commissioner of Police to stop providing further security cover for the illegal occupation of the council secretariats by the sacked chairmen. All law enforcement agencies should support the restoration of elected council officials.”
The governor also called on the United Bank for Africa, UBA, to cease its collaboration with the affected chairmen regarding local government accounts.
According to him, “The bank had previously sworn to an affidavit affirming that all disputed local government funds remained intact.
“We insist that the UBA must ensure that every kobo of the local government fund is secured and accounted for. Signatories prescribed by law should be allowed to operate the accounts so that workers could receive pensions and other entitlements.”
Similarly, the Nigeria Labour Congress, Osun State Council, has directed members of the National Union of Local Government Employees across the state to prevent the “sacked APC Yes/No Local Government Chairmen and their political appointees from accessing council secretariats.”
In a statement signed by the NLC Osun State chairman, Christopher Arapasopo, the union said the court’s decision rendered the claims of the sacked chairmen to office “null, void, and of no legal consequence.”
The NLC instructed NULGE members in all 30 Local Government Areas, Local Council Development Areas, and Area Offices in Osun State to immediately lock the entrance gates of council secretariats against the affected chairmen, councillors, and their appointees.
The union also directed workers to secure vital administrative offices and council properties, while urging them to remain calm and continue their official duties without panic.
The statement further advised workers to report any attempt to forcefully gain access to the secretariats to the NLC leadership and relevant security agencies.
The directive, the union said, takes immediate effect and will remain in force pending further communication from the NLC Osun State Council.
Meanwhile, the All Progressives Congress in the state has disclosed its intention of approaching the Court of Appeal over the development.
A statement by Kola Olabisi, the party Director of Media and Information, argued that, “the reinstated Chairmen and Councillors shall put to test the judgment at the appropriate venue and until such constitutional rights are exhaustively exercised, the reinstated Chairmen and Councilors will continue to discharge their constitutional duties in the office.
The law enforcement agencies are hereby called upon to caution the members of the deregistered Accord Party trying to breach the rules of law by looking for means to create crises over the matter.
Our members and supporters should remain resolute as we have resolved to explore the window of redress allowed by the law of the land to ensure the continuity of the good governance being offered by our party at the grassroots level of government in the state.”
The Guardian
