Local government councils in Osun State, elected under the All Progressives Congress (APC) banner, have initiated legal action against the federal government, the Inspector General of Police, and the Osun State Government concerning the duration of their tenure.
This legal move introduces a fresh dimension to the ongoing dispute over local government tenures, a conflict that nearly destabilized the state when purportedly reinstated local government officials reclaimed control of LGA secretariats several months ago.
Senator Ademola Adeleke, the Governor of Osun State, had previously dismissed these officials-originally elected in October 2022-following a Federal High Court ruling that annulled their elections.
The situation escalated after the Court of Appeal reportedly reinstated these officials in February 2025, sparking further contention.
Subsequently, local government elections held on February 22, 2025, resulted in victories for candidates from the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who were then officially sworn in by Governor Adeleke.
Since then, both political factions have vied for control over the LGAs, leading to a strike by members of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) in response to the federal government’s decision to withhold monthly financial allocations to the local governments.
In a new legal filing at the Federal High Court in Osogbo (case number FHC/OS/CS/147/2025), the legal representative for Saheed Onibonokuta and seven other APC local government chairmen, Muhideen Adeoye, requested an extension of their tenure until February 19, 2028.
The lawsuit names several defendants, including the Attorney General of the Federation, the Inspector General of Police, the Osun State Governor, the State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSSIEC), and the State House of Assembly.
The plaintiffs contend that, according to the Constitution and Osun State laws, their tenure should commence from the date they were sworn in and assumed office in February 2025, rather than from their initial election in October 2022, when they were barred from taking office.
They argue that holding local government elections in February 2025 while their tenure was still active was unlawful and infringed upon their constitutional entitlement to serve a full term.
Consequently, they seek a judicial declaration that OSSIEC lacked the authority to issue election notices, conduct polls, or administer oaths to new council members during the period their tenure was ongoing.
The plaintiffs further assert that all actions taken by state authorities since February 22, 2025, to install new council executives are illegal, invalid, unconstitutional, and void.
The APC officials also request the court to rule that any interpretation by the Attorney General of the Federation limiting their tenure to end in October 2025 exceeds his legal authority and is therefore unconstitutional and null.
They urge the court to compel the Attorney General of the Federation and the Inspector General of Police to ensure their security, safeguarding their continued occupancy of office until their three-year term naturally concludes in February 2028.
Additionally, the plaintiffs ask the court to prohibit Governor Ademola Adeleke, the Osun State Attorney General, the State House of Assembly, and OSSIEC from removing or interfering with their tenure before February 2028.
They emphasize that any attempt to forcibly remove them prior to the lawful expiration of their term would constitute a breach of due process and a violation of their constitutional rights.
