A coalition of civil society organisations under the banner of the Network of Civil Society Groups in Osun State has condemned what it described as the illegal occupation of local government council secretariats across the state by court-sacked and tenure-expired officials of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Addressing journalists in Osogbo on Monday, the group alleged that the former chairmen and councillors, popularly referred to as “Yes or No” officials, were unlawfully occupying council secretariats despite clear court judgments nullifying their mandate, with alleged protection from the Osun State Command of the Nigeria Police Force.
Providing background to the dispute, the civil society groups recalled that in 2022, the Federal High Court nullified the local government elections conducted under the APC-led administration in Osun State for failure to comply with legal provisions, consequently sacking all chairmen and councillors purportedly elected from the exercise.
They noted that the judgment was affirmed by the Court of Appeal on June 13, 2025, in a ruling delivered by Justices Oyebisi Folayemi Omoleye, Peter Obiorah, and Hadiza Rabiu Shagari, thereby confirming that the affected officials lacked any lawful mandate.
Despite these judgments, the group alleged that the sacked officials refused to vacate office, claiming a non-existent court order reinstating them. Acting on what the civil society groups described as falsehood, the officials were said to have forcefully occupied council secretariats across the state with armed police protection.
The coalition further argued that, even if the officials had any arguable claim to office, their tenure lawfully expired on October 26, 2024, a fact they said was confirmed by the Attorney-General of the Federation in filings before the Supreme Court. They added that the officials themselves acknowledged the expiration of their tenure by filing a tenure-elongation suit at the Federal High Court, Osogbo, seeking judicial extension of their time in office.
According to the group, the tenure-elongation suit is yet to be heard and no interim, interlocutory, or final order has been granted by any court permitting the officials to remain in office. As such, they described the continued occupation of council secretariats after October 26, 2025, as illegal, unconstitutional, and contemptuous of court.
The civil society organisations also cited a Supreme Court decision in the case involving former Oyo State Governor, Senator Rashidi Ladoja, which they said settled the issue of tenure elongation by holding that no elected official’s tenure can be extended, either by the official or by any court of law.
They accused the Osun State Commissioner of Police, CP Gotan, of complicity, alleging that police protection was provided to the former officials during a reoccupation of council secretariats on January 5, 2026. During the incident, they claimed civil servants who had resumed work after months of strike action were molested and dehumanised.
In their demands, the group called for the immediate withdrawal of police protection from the alleged illegal occupants, the prompt vacation of all council secretariats by officials whose tenure had expired, and strict enforcement of the rule of law.
They warned that continued defiance of court judgments and constitutional provisions posed a grave threat to democratic governance and public order in Osun State.
The press statement was jointly signed by Comrade Olanrewaju Stephen, Convener; Comrade Rafiu Sadiq Akinkunmi, Secretary General; and Tobiloba Richards Agboola, Public Relations Officer.
