The situation was brought on by Adeleke’s executive order—ALGON Chair
By Osogbo’s Shina Abubakar
Ademola Adeleke, the governor of Osun State, has called the All Progressives Congress (APC) chairmen and council members’ ongoing presence at the Local Government Council Secretariats unlawful and undemocratic.
In a state broadcast on Monday, the governor stated that the self-tenure extension that APC officials granted themselves throughout the state’s council is illegal under all national laws, particularly because the council members acknowledged that their tenure ended on October 22, 2025.
The governor claims that it is a well-established legal principle that Nigerian elected officials’ terms cannot be prolonged by one day after they have expired. In the case of former Oyo State Governor Ladoja, the Supreme Court decided that the governor’s term could not be prolonged after ruling in his favor that he had been wrongfully removed from office for around eleven months.
Ads by “The Attorney-General of the Federation and their attorneys acknowledged in multiple filings that have been made public in our courts, including the Supreme Court, that these APC chairmen and council members have no claim to office beyond October 22, 2025.”
“The APC chairmen and council members approached the Federal High Court to request an extension of their expired tenure in order to further confirm that their so-called tenure has expired.”
“No one has heard that case. However, the mere act of requesting an extension amounts to a blatant admission that their purported tenure had ended, both legally and practically. The tenure of the APC chairman and council members ended on October 22, 2025, assuming—without conceding—that they had any.
The governor further claimed that the APC-elected council members have been successfully committing crimes because of the police’s brutal assistance, which was directed by the Minister of
Mr. Adegboyega Oyetola, Marine and Blue Economy.
The governor clarified, “They have continued to occupy the local government secretariat by brute force with police protection, despite these unquestionable legal facts, allegedly acting on the instructions of former Governor Gboyega Oyetola.”
Because they claim to have the support of former Governor Gboyega Oyetola, these APC chairmen and council members have threatened on their different social media channels to stay in the local government secretariats for as long as they want in a democracy.
There are moments when I question whether we truly live in a democracy where everyone is subject to the law. By the mercy of former Governor Gboyega Oyetola, it appears that the APC chairmen and council members in Osun State, whose purported mandate has ended, are exempt from the law.
He warned that “Mr. President’s name is being used without his knowledge by former Governor Gboyega Oyetola to get the Nigerian police and the UBA to obey his alleged illegal directives” and urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to step in and prevent Oyetola from giving the police illegal orders.
In response, Mr. Abiodun Idowu, the Chairman of the Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON), Osun chapter, stated that the Governor’s assertions demonstrated his ignorance of grassroots administration, particularly in light of the Supreme Court’s ruling on local government autonomy.
He went on to say that the current crisis stems from Governor Adeleke’s contentious executive order that tampered with council officials’ freely granted tenure. He urged the governor to stop using media blackmail and let the state’s Federal High Court decide the tenure issue.
He chastised the governor for bringing Mr. Adegboyega Oyetola, the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, into the matter of local government, which has been given autonomy. He also instructed the governor to find another way to settle any disagreements he may have with Mr. Oyetola and to let the legal system decide the matter of local government administration.
It is unexpected that Governor Ademola Adeleke, who previously said that we had no tenure at all, is suddenly on the side that our tenure has ended. We have a tenure because of the February 10, 2025, Court of Appeal ruling.
In order to ascertain if the Governor has the authority to interfere with that tenure by his Executive Order of November 2022, we are currently before a Federal High Court in the State. The police knew that since we have been legally supported council officials since last year, we don’t need any illegal orders from anyone; instead, we only need to follow the law.
He said, “We are legally in the council secretariats because we have petitioned the court to decide our tenure issue, which will come up on February 3. After that, we will know our position.”
