Osun Govt Solicitors Seeks Security for Elected LG Officials
By Waliu Adetokun, Osogbo
Solicitors to the Osun State Government and the state’s local government councils have called on the Nigerian Army’s Engineer Construction Command in Ede to provide security for elected local government officials and workers following a recent court judgment on the leadership dispute in the councils.
The request was contained in a letter signed by Mrs. Oluwabusola O. Oluwaniyi, Senior Partner at Musibau Adetunbi (SAN) & Co., and addressed to the Commander of the Engineer Construction Command. The lawyers urged the military authorities to facilitate the safe resumption of elected council officials and ensure the protection of local government staff across the state.
According to the letter, the Federal High Court sitting in Osogbo, presided over by Justice Adefunmilola Demi-Ajayi, dismissed a suit filed by former All Progressives Congress (APC) local government chairmen seeking to remain in office.
The solicitors said the former chairmen had asked the court to allow them continue in office, void the February 22, 2025 local government election, invalidate the oath of office taken by the elected council chairmen, restrain their removal from council secretariats and direct the police to continue providing security for them.
“All the reliefs specifically sought by them were expressly refused by the court and their Originating Summons dismissed in its entirety,” the letter stated.
The lawyers noted that following the judgment delivered on Monday, Governor Ademola Adeleke directed the police to remove what he described as illegal occupiers of local government secretariats and ensure the safety of workers, while allowing the elected chairmen to resume their duties.
They maintained that there was no court order stopping the implementation of the judgment.
“There has not been any order by any court staying the decision or granting any injunction against the implementation of the judgment, as filing of an appeal or an application for stay is not itself an order of court to restrain implementation of the judgment,” the letter said.
The solicitors argued that the judgment remains valid and enforceable in the absence of any stay of execution or contrary order from a competent court.
They therefore called on the military authorities to support efforts aimed at restoring normal administrative activities at local government councils across Osun State.
“Against the background of the foregoing, we hereby implore you to act accordingly by removing the illegal occupiers and ensuring safe resumption of duties of the duly elected officials,” the letter added.