Osun political crisis deepens as APC and PDP clash over local government leadership

On Thursday, March 12, the political crisis in Osun State intensified as the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) continued their bitter dispute over the legitimacy of local government chairmen and councillors.

The conflict has now drawn the attention of the Federal Government, with both parties calling for intervention. The latest controversy stemmed from a letter sent by the Osun State Government introducing newly appointed chairmen and councillors to key federal officials, including the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Lateef Fagbemi, the Accountant-General of the Federation, Shamsedeen Babatunde Ogunjimi, and Central Bank Governor, Yemi Cardoso.

This move has sparked outrage within the state APC, which labeled the appointed officials as impostors, urging the Federal Government to reject their recognition.

“We want to put it on record that the PDP chieftains introduced by the Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Kazeem Igbalaye, are impersonators,” said Kola Olabisi, the APC Director of Media and Information. “There was no election that produced these individuals, and the Court of Appeal’s ruling on 10th February 2025 reinstated the local government executives elected in October 2022.”

The APC also claimed that the state government ignored professional advice from the AGF, who had earlier cautioned Governor Ademola Adeleke against conducting fresh elections, as the reinstated 2022 chairmen and councillors had not completed their tenure.

However, the Osun PDP maintains that the appointments are valid and accused the APC of spreading false information. Sunday Bisi, the Osun PDP chairman, responded: “The Osun APC is hallucinating. The Federal Government is already reviewing its stance on the Osun local government face-off. Certified court judgements have been submitted, and no ruling reinstated the so-called Yes/No chairmen the APC claims are legitimate.”

PDP further argued that the Court of Appeal ruling did not include any orders for the reinstatement of the 2022 chairmen and councillors and criticized the APC for spreading misinformation. “The Federal Ministry of Justice is in possession of all relevant judgements and is currently reviewing the situation,” Bisi added.

The political clash has also sparked security concerns, with both parties accusing each other of violence. The APC pointed out that the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, had advised against holding local government elections due to security risks—advice they claim Governor Adeleke ignored.

“The IGP’s counsel was equally disregarded,” Olabisi said. “Now we see the consequences of this desperation for power. We urge the Federal Government to ignore this illegitimate introduction of impostors and uphold the rule of law.”

In response, the PDP accused the APC of political violence. “Despite losing six of our members to political attacks, we opted for a peaceful resolution by reaching out to the AGF and other federal officials,” Bisi claimed.

Tensions have risen following the unresolved murder of Remi Abass, a former chairman of Irewole Local Government and an APC leader. The APC, however, urged Governor Adeleke to focus on bringing the murderers to justice, criticizing him for prioritizing the introduction of new officials.

Meanwhile, the legal battle remains at the heart of the crisis, with the APC accusing the state government of attempting to influence a lower court to overturn the Court of Appeal ruling from Akure.

“It is unheard of that a judgement debtor would approach a lower court to overturn the decision of a superior court. This is nothing but an attempt to purchase justice at all costs,” Olabisi maintained.

The PDP remains optimistic, stating that the Federal Government will rule in its favor. “We have dismantled the house of lies the APC built. The certified true copies of judgements are now with the Federal Ministry of Justice, and we believe President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will ensure the right decision is made,” Bisi concluded.