Gov. Adeleke orders heads of LGAs to take over from sacked council chairmen

Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State, resuming duties after inauguration on Sunday, ordered career heads of Local Government Areas (LGAs) and Area Councils Development Areas (ACDAs) in the state to take control and charge of their councils from the sacked council chairmen and councillors.

The Media Aide of the Governor, Malam Olawale Rasheed, in a statement, indicated that the directive is with immediate effect.

According to the statement, “Governor Adeleke also directed the most senior career heads across all the local government  areas, to take charge of their councils.

“This is in compliance with the judgment of the Federal High Court sitting in Osogbo that sacked the council d Local Government Chairmen and Councillors.”

The Federal High Cour sitting in Osogbo, presided by Justice Nathaniel Ayo-Emmanuel had in a judgement on Friday, declared the local government election conducted by the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSIEC) null and void, ordering the elected chairmen and councillors to quit office immediately.

Justice Ayo-Emmanuel delivered the judgment based on a PDP suit, asking the court to stop the Osun Independent Electoral Commission (OSIEC) from conducting the Osun Oct. 15 Local Government election.

The judge, in his judgment, stated that the Local Government election that was subsequently held by OSIEC was held in contravention of Sections 29 and 32 of the Electoral Act, 2022.

Reacting to the ruling, the Chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) in Osun, Mr Abiodun Idowu, called on its members to remain calm and peaceful.

Idowu said the leadership of their party- the All Progressives Congress (APC) and all the chairmen across the 69 LGAs, ACDAs had filed a ‘Notice of Appeal and Stay of Execution’ against the ruling.