Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has condemned the continued occupation of local government secretariats by chairmen and councillors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), insisting that their tenure expired and that any attempt at extension is illegal and unconstitutional.
In a statewide broadcast on Monday, Adeleke accused the APC officials of unlawfully extending what he described as their “self-awarded tenure,” stressing that tenure elongation is not permitted under the Nigerian Constitution or established Supreme Court precedents.
The governor decried what he termed the disruption of peace in local government areas across the state, blaming what he called the “high-handedness of the powers that be” for escalating tensions.
“It is a settled matter of law that the tenure of elected officials in Nigeria cannot be extended for a single day after its expiration,” Adeleke said.
He cited the Supreme Court judgment in the case involving former Oyo State Governor Rashidi Ladoja, where the court ruled that tenure could not be extended even after a period of unlawful removal from office.
“In several filings that have become public documents in our courts, including the Supreme Court, the lawyers of these APC chairmen and councillors, as well as the Attorney-General of the Federation, admitted that they have no claim to office beyond October 22, 2025,” he said.
According to Adeleke, the APC officials further acknowledged the expiration of their tenure by approaching the Federal High Court to seek an extension.
“That case has not been heard. But the very act of seeking an extension amounts to a clear admission, in law and in fact, that their tenure has expired,” the governor argued.
He added that even if the APC officials had any legitimate tenure claim, “which is not conceded,” such tenure ended on October 22, 2025.
Despite this, Adeleke accused them of forcibly occupying council secretariats with police backing, allegedly acting on the instructions of former governor Gboyega Oyetola.
The governor expressed concern that the APC officials had openly declared on social media that they would remain in office indefinitely because they were being supported by Oyetola.
“In a democracy, it is troubling that people whose tenure has expired are threatening to occupy public offices by force,” Adeleke said, calling on the former governor to “allow Osun State to breathe.”
He further alleged that there were repeated attempts by the APC chairmen to create instability in the state, allegedly to justify a declaration of a state of emergency, adding that his administration had successfully foiled such plots.
Questioning the role of security agencies, Adeleke asked whether Nigeria was still operating under a democratic system where no one is above the law.
“Sometimes, I wonder if we are truly practicing democracy. In Osun State, it appears that these APC chairmen and councillors are above the law, by the grace of former Governor Gboyega Oyetola,” he said.
The governor disclosed that he had formally written to the heads of relevant federal security agencies over actions he said were threatening peace and order in the state.
He also accused the former governor of allegedly weaponising federal institutions, particularly the Nigeria Police Force, and dragging United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc into the crisis through what he described as illegal directives.
Adeleke further alleged that UBA allowed unauthorised persons to operate local government accounts, adding that senior bank officials involved were already facing criminal prosecution.
He questioned whether such actions would be tolerated in other jurisdictions where the bank operates, such as New York or London.
The governor appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene, alleging that the president’s name was being used without his consent to justify illegal directives.
“Mr President’s name is being used without his knowledge to get the Nigerian Police and UBA to obey alleged illegal instructions,” he said.
Reiterating that the constitution does not permit tenure elongation for any elected official, Adeleke framed the situation as a battle between legality and impunity.
“What confronts us here is law versus lawlessness, constitutional order versus naked impunity,” he said.
He called on Nigerians and pro-democracy advocates to demand an immediate end to what he described as the siege on local governments in Osun State.
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