https://thestreetjournal.org/sacked-osun-lg-chairmen-councillors-to-continue-in-office-despite-courts-verdict/

The Osun state house of assembly, on Wednesday, November 30, said that since the judgment nullifying the October 15 local government elections in the state had been appealed, the elected officials should be allowed to continue in office.

The resolution was contained in a statement released by the press secretary to the speaker of the assembly, Kunle Alabi, on Wednesday, November 30, The Punch reports.

The Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSIEC) had, through its executive secretary, Adedapo Adejumo, withdrawn certificates of return issued to the elected officials of all local government areas in the state, and disclosed plan not to appeal the ruling of a federal high court in Osogbo that sacked them.

However, the assembly said tha it arrived at the resolution that the sacked council officials should remain in office during a plenary on Wednesday, after its speaker, Timothy Owoeye, briefed members on the outcome of a private meeting held with the state governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke.

Owoeye, while briefing members of the assembly on the outcome of the meeting with Adeleke, also stated that there was a mutual understanding that the house would henceforth be carried along on matters that concerns the legislature.

The statement partly reads, “On the issue of LG administration, Owoeye informed the plenary of a notice of appeal against the decision of a federal high court judgment served on the seventh assembly.

“The house thereby resolves that the issue of local government administration should be left to the court of law, ordering a status quo on all local government administration pending the exhaustion on all legal means.

“This is the Osun state house of assembly, anything we are doing has to be to the development and progress of this state, we have not done anything wrong.

“As an institution, we scan whatever we disseminate because as far as the constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria is concerned, we are performing legislative duties and our functions as legislators.

“When Aregbesola took over the mantle of leadership in 2010, the PDP-controlled local government was still in place and the status quo remained.

“Nobody dissolved the local government until all legal processes were completed.”

Recall that a federal high court sitting in Osogbo, on November 25, nullified the state’s local government election conducted by OSIEC.
OSIEC, on October 15, conducted the election across the 30 local government areas (LGAs) in the state amid low voter turnout.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) won all the seats in the 30 LGAs unopposed.

Prior to the election, Segun Oladitan, chairman of OSIEC, announced that only one political party signified intention to contest in the election.

He, however, did not mention the name of the political party that signified interest at the time.

The ballot paper used for voting didn’t have the logo of any political party, and only reflected ‘Yes or No.’

However, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) recently approached the court to stop OSIEC from nullifying the election.

Nathaniel Ayo-Emmanuel, the presiding judge, held that the election was held in contravention of sections 29 and 32 of the electoral act, 2022.

Ayo-Emmanuel also ordered the immediate removal of all chairmen and councillors in every LGA of the state.

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