An Osun State High Court in Osogbo has ordered the State Independent Electoral Commission (OSIEC) to proceed with the local government election set for Saturday, February 22, 2025.
Justice A. Aderigbigbe issued the ruling on Friday, February 21, in response to an enrollment order filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) against OSIEC and its Chairman, Hashim Abioye. The court affirmed that vacancies exist in all 30 local government areas of the state, as previously determined by a Federal High Court judgment.
The court ruled that the election conducted by OSIEC on October 15, 2022, was invalid, null, and void. It further noted that officials elected in the process had been removed by the Federal High Court ruling in case FHC/CS/OS/103/2022,ย Action Peoples Party (APP) vs. Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) & Ors,ย delivered on November 30, 2022. This decision was upheld by the Court of Appeal in case CA/AK/226M/2024,ย Allied People Movement (APM) & Ors vs. Action Peoples Party (APP) & Ors,ย on January 13, 2025.
Citing these rulings, the court upheld the PDPโs request for fresh elections and ordered OSIEC to proceed with the polls. It also directed security agencies, including the Nigeria Police, the Nigerian Army, the Department of State Security Services (DSS), the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC), the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), the Amotekun Corps, and local vigilante groups, to ensure security during and after the election.
