An Osun State High Court sitting in Osogbo has directed the State Independent Electoral Commission (OSIEC) to proceed with the local government election set for Saturday, February 22, 2025.
The order came after a legal suit brought by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) against OSIEC and its Chairman, Hashim Abioye. The court, led by Justice A. Aderigbigbe, ruled that there is a vacancy in all 30 local government areas of the state, a decision that followed a prior ruling by the Federal High Court.
The court found that the local government election held on October 15, 2022, was invalid and had been voided by the Federal High Court in case FHC/CS/OS/103/2022 (ACTION PEOPLES PARTY VS. INEC). The verdict was further upheld by the Court of Appeal in Appeal No: CA/AK/226M/2024 (ALLIED PEOPLE MOVEMENT VS. ACTION PEOPLES PARTY) in January 2025. This ruling confirmed that the elected officials from the invalidated election were to be removed, leaving vacancies in the local councils.
The court also ordered that security agencies, including the Nigeria Police, the Army, the DSS, the Amotekun Corps, the Vigilante Group, and other agencies, provide full security during and after the election to ensure a smooth process.