The Action Peoples Party (APP) in Osun State has initiated a contempt proceeding against the All Progressives Congress (APC), its state chairman, Tajudeen Lawal, and the local government chairmen elected under the party.
In a suit filed on Tuesday before a Federal High Court in Osogbo, APP alleges that the defendants have disobeyed a court order that reportedly removed the chairmen from their positions.
According to the applicant in the suit numbered FHC/OS/CS/103/22, the Federal High Court had on November 30, 2022, sacked the APC chairman from office in a suit filed by the APP against the local government election conducted by the immediate past administration.
APP said despite the court judgment and the subsequent dismissal of APC’s appeal by the Court of Appeal sitting in Akure, the chairmen have forcefully occupied the secretariats.
It would be recalled that the Peoples Democratic Party and the APP filed separate suits challenging the conduct of the 2022 local government elections in the state at the Federal High Court, Osogbo.
The court in the two suits sacked the APC chairmen from office and declared the elections null and void.
The APC appealed both judgments; however, the Court of Appeal, Akure, struck out the appeal on the APP judgment on January 13, 2025.
However, the Court of Appeal sitting in Akure, granted the prayers of the APC in the appeal against the PDP case and reportedly reinstated the sacked chairmen.
The APC chairmen have since resumed at the local government secretariats despite the state conducting another local government election, which was won by candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party.
In the contempt case filed, the APP said unless the defendants obeyed the judgement of the Federal High Court which directed that the election into the Local Government Councils across Osun State held on 15/10/2022 pursuant to Notice of Election issued on 15/8/2022 is unconstitutional, invalid, null and, the defendant shall be guilty of contempt of Court and shall be liable to be committed to prison.
The APP said it has informed the court that the APC chairmen are yet to comply with the Federal High Court order and are forcefully occupying offices in the 30 Local Government Councils in the State.
The APP asked the chairmen to comply with the court order forthwith by vacating the offices or be guilty of contempt of court.
READ MORE FROM: NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
and then