Osun State High Court in Osogbo has mandated Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSIEC) to proceed with the local government election scheduled for February 22, 2025.
The order was given by Justice A. Aderigbigbe in a case filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) against OSIEC and its Chairman, Hashim Abioye.
The judge’s ruling declared that there are vacancies in all 30 local government areas of the state.
According to the court, the election conducted by the first defendant on 15th October 2022, had been invalidated, nullified and voided.
The court also ruled that the elected officials produced by the purported election had been sacked by the Federal High Court in FHC/CS/OS/103/2022; ACTION PEOPLES PARTY (APP) VS. INDEPENDENT NATIONAL ELECTORAL COMMISSION (INEC) & Ors, delivered on the 30th November 2022 and as confirmed by the decision of the Court of Appeal in Appeal No: CA/AK/226M/2024; ALLIED PEOPLE MOVEMENT (APM) & Ors VS. ACTION PEOPLES PARTY (APP) & ORS delivered on January 13, 2025, that vacancy exists in the political administration of local councils in the State, thereby, consequently upholding the prayers of the PDP in the suit.
The court further mandated all the security agencies, comprising the Nigeria Police, the Nigeria Army, the Department of State Security Services (DSS), the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC), the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), the Amotekun Corps, the Vigilante group etc in the state to provide adequate security during and after the election.