The Osun State High Court in Ilesa has issued a directive to the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSSIEC) to conduct elections to fill the vacant positions of chairmen and councillors in all 30 local government areas of the South-West state.
The Court issued the order on Friday, following a lawsuit filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), one of the political parties participating in the election, to address concerns about the election’s conduct and legitimacy.
“An order of this honourable court is granted, directing, mandating, and compelling the defendants to fill the vacancies across the 30 Local Government Areas of Osun State through a democratic process by proceeding to conduct the Local Government ELECTIONS already scheduled by the defendants for 22nd of February, 2025,” the order read.
Justice Aderibigbe not only ordered OSSIEC to proceed with the election, but also mandated security agencies to maintain peace and security before, during, and after the election.
the court said, “An order of this honourable court is granted, directing, mandating and compelling all the security agents comprising of the Nigeria Police, the Nigerian Army, the Department of State Security Services (DSS), the Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC), the National Drugs and Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), the Amotekun Corps, the Vigilante Groups etc. to provide adequate security and maintain peace and order before, during and after the local government election scheduled by the Defendants for February 22, 2025, in Osun State.”
Osun State has been in turmoil over plans to hold local government elections, with the anticipated poll on Saturday, February 22nd, 2025, marred by violence and loss of life. This escalation of tensions prompted the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice Lateef Fagbemi to intervene, recommending a halt to the election process.
Meanwhile, Labour candidates for the upcoming Osun State local government election have appealed to the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSIEC) to postpone the poll citing lack of preparation of the electoral body and some unresolved matters.
