Olatunbosun Oyintiloye, a prominent figure in the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State, has called on President Bola Tinubu to intervene urgently in what he described as a looming political crisis in the state, following the recent Court of Appeal judgment concerning the 2022 local government elections.
Speaking to journalists on Sunday in Osogbo, Oyintiloye expressed deep concern over the tension generated by the ruling delivered by the Akure Division of the Court of Appeal on Friday. He noted that the judgment has been widely misinterpreted by the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the state government, leading to heightened anxiety across the 30 local government areas of the state.
Oyintiloye clarified that while the Court of Appeal struck out the APC’s request to relist its appeal against the 2022 Federal High Court decision that invalidated the local government elections, the appellate court did not reverse or nullify the February 10, 2023 judgment that reinstated the elected chairmen and councillors from the APC.
The former state lawmaker warned that the PDP’s claim that the Court of Appeal ruling validated their takeover of the local councils is misleading. He further alleged that the PDP, emboldened by its interpretation of the judgment, plans to forcibly take over the council secretariats on Monday — a move that could lead to violent clashes.
“There is an imminent threat of crisis because the duly elected APC chairmen and councillors, who are currently in office, will not allow an unlawful takeover of the local government secretariats,” Oyintiloye stated.
To prevent any breakdown of law and order, Oyintiloye appealed to President Tinubu to urgently deploy additional security forces to Osun State. He reminded the public of the violence that erupted during a similar standoff on February 17, which resulted in casualties and deepened tensions in the state.
“We are still grieving the lives lost during the previous unrest. We cannot afford a repeat of that tragedy. It is imperative for the President to step in now to preserve peace and safeguard lives and property,” he pleaded.
Oyintiloye criticized the PDP’s public declaration of plans to seize the council offices, calling it reckless and capable of inciting unrest. He accused the state government of attempting to mislead the public with a false narrative of the court’s decision.
According to him, while the Court of Appeal did dismiss the APC’s bid to revive its appeal — originally struck out in January for lack of diligent prosecution — the ruling did not affirm the lower court’s decision nor invalidate the tenure of the APC-elected officials.
He emphasized that the Osun State Government is already seeking legal redress at the Supreme Court concerning the matter of accessing local government allocations, and therefore, should await the final verdict from the apex court rather than escalate the situation.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the appellate court dismissed the APC’s application to relist an appeal earlier struck out on January 13 due to procedural lapses. The case stemmed from a suit initially filed by the All Peoples Party (APP), which challenged the legality of the October 15, 2022, local government elections conducted solely with APC candidates.
Oyintiloye’s appeal adds a fresh layer of political tension to Osun State’s ongoing struggle over local government administration, with calls now growing for national leadership to ensure peace prevails.
