The Chairman of the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSSIEC), Barrister Hashim Abioye, has dismissed as untrue a report in circulation that the Court of Appeal sitting in Akure had ordered the reinstatement of officials elected in the October 15, 2022, election in the state, urging the public to discountenance what he termed as fake news.
Barrister Hashim clarified that the appealate court did not make any consequential order in the decision that struck out the suit filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as being speculated in some quarters, noting that the February 22, 2025, local government election scheduled by the commission will go ahead.
“The reasoning of the Appellate Court was that the suit was filed before the Notice of election was issued by the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSSIEC). It must be noted that it was during the pendency of the said suit before the Federal High Court sitting in Osogbo in FHC/OS/CS/94/2022 that the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSSIEC) Law 2022 was enacted and the notice of election was issued,” he noted.
“The Claimant in the case amended the originating summons to bring the suit in line with the developments which occurred during the pendency of the suit. The Federal High Court delivered its judgment in the suit on the 25th November, 2022, nullifying the election and sacking the purported elected officials.
“The affected political party All Progressive Congress (APC) and their purported candidates for the election appealed the judgment, and today the Court of Appeal delivered a judgment in the appeal striking out the suit for being speculative. No more to that at the Court of Appeal.”
Barrister Hashim however explained that there exist a valid judgement of the court that invalidated the October 15, 2022, councils poll, calling on the public not to be dissuaded by the antics of certain elements who are out to frustrate the conduct of the upcoming election.
“However, by another judgment of the Federal High Court in suit No.: APP .v. INEC & ORS, the Federal High Court in a judgment delivered on 30th November, 2022 nullified the election and sacked the purported elected officials. The All Progressive Congress (APC), Allied People Movement (APM) and 1 other person appealed the judgment but later abandoned the appeal and same was dismissed by the Court of Appeal on the 13th January, 2025,” he pointed out.
“To this effect, there is no order returning any purported elected officials of the All Progressive Congress (APC) to office as there is no Order of any Court reinstating them to office. In particular, there is no Order of any Court stopping the conduct of the election already scheduled by the Commission to hold on 22nd February, 2025.
“In specific terms, the thirty (30) Local Government Areas in Osun State remain vacant till date as there is a substituting decision of the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal against the All Progressive Congress (APC) and its purported candidates.
“Towards this end, I urge the public to remain calm and all political parties to go about their peaceful campaigns as we countdown to the D-day, that is 22nd February, 2025. All is set for the election to hold.”
