APC rejects outcome of Osun LG polls

The National Secretariat of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has called on President Bola Tinubu to strip local councils in Osun state of their statutory allocations.

The APC National Working Committee made the declaration in a statement while reacting to the weekend conduct of Local Government Council election in Osun state and the subsequent swearing-in of the elected chairmen by the Osun state governor, Ademola Adeleke.

The Chairman of the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSSIEC), Hashim Abioye, declared that the Peoples Democratic Party won all the chairmanship and councillorship seats in all the 30 local government areas (LGAs) in the weekend election.

But dismissing the entire process as purported, the APC through its National Publicity Secretary, Barrister Felix Morka, claimed the election was conducted in defiance of valid Court judgment which had ruled that the council chairmen be reinstated and allowed to serve their tenure.

The APC maintained that “the purported last Saturday’s fresh election conducted by Governor Adeleke and his PDP is nothing but a disgraceful sham, illegal, unconstitutional and violently contemptuous of the valid and subsisting judgment of the Court of Appeal, and of no effect whatsoever.”

The statement further read in part: “The exercise was a reckless waste of public funds and an irresponsible incitement to further violence in an already volatile atmosphere in the state.

“Governor Adeleke is under constitutional responsibility to respect and uphold the laws of our land, including giving effect to binding court judgments notwithstanding his personal or partisan political wishes or preferences. As he was quick to issue an executive order sacking the local government officials based on the Federal High Court judgment of 2022, Governor Adeleke is under clear constitutional obligation to similarly comply with the Court of Appeal judgment reinstating the same officials. The sensible and democratic remedy available to Governor Adeleke is to exercise his government’s right to appeal to the Supreme Court in the matter.

“Governor Adeleke bears a solemn duty to protect the lives and property of all citizens of Osun state irrespective of political difference.

“We urge Governor Adeleke to immediately end his illegal and anti-democratic push for fresh local government election, and abide by the valid judgment of the Court of Appeal in the matter.

“Breaking news reports of the purported swearing in of “newly elected” local government officials by Governor Adeleke constitutes needless political provocation and a clear renewed threat to the peace and safety of lives in the state.

“We enjoin local government workers in Osun state to go about their duties peacefully and in line with the authority of the judicially reinstated chairmen and councillors. Further, we call on the Police and other security agencies to remain vigilant and prevent further breakdown of law and order in the state as may arise from Governor Adeleke’s illegal and reckless actions.

“In keeping with the rule of law, it is our expectation that the Federal Government will make federal allocation for local governments available only to democratically elected and judicially certified local government officials in Osun state.

“The people of Osun state deserve to live in peace and security. Governor Adeleke must quit his political infantilism, and uphold peace and constitutional order in the state.”

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