The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State has launched a scathing attack on Governor Ademola Adeleke, accusing him of orchestrating an abuse of court processes to undermine a landmark judicial ruling. In a statement released on Thursday, March 6, 2025, Kola Olabisi, the party‘s Director of Media and Information, alleged that Adeleke is disregarding a February 10, 2025, Court of Appeal decision that reinstated APC-elected local government chairmen and councillors. The APC claims the governor is covertly backing lawsuits filed by Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) officials to challenge this ruling, branding his actions as legally and morally indefensible.
The controversy stems from a power struggle over control of Osun’s local government councils. The APC asserts that Adeleke is manipulating the judiciary by supporting PDP-elected officials—chosen in a February 22, 2025, election—who recently approached an Osun State High Court in Ikirun to contest the APC’s hold on council secretariats. Additionally, the Osun chapter of the National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) has filed a separate suit in Ilesa, decrying the “forceful invasion” of these secretariats by APC officials elected under former Governor Adegboyega Oyetola in 2022. NULGE argues its action is to protect its members amid rising tensions, but the APC sees it as a partisan ploy orchestrated by Adeleke’s administration.
Olabisi’s statement pulls no punches, accusing the governor of seeking a “back door” to overturn the appellate court’s judgment through lower courts rather than appealing to the Supreme Court, the appropriate venue for such a challenge. “If Adeleke had a legitimate case, he‘d go to the Supreme Court, not shop for a compromised judge,” the APC charged, suggesting the litigation is a stalling tactic to disrupt APC-led councils and rally PDP supporters. The party also pointed to a statement by Adeleke’s Commissioner for Information, Kolapo Alimi, about NULGE’s lawsuit as evidence of the governor’s involvement.
The APC remains defiant, asserting that Osun’s judiciary includes “men and women of integrity” who will resist what it calls Adeleke’s “glaring misnomer.” It insists the reinstated APC chairmen and councillors—upheld by the Court of Appeal—are here to stay, urging Adeleke to “co-govern” with them rather than waste judicial resources. “They were elected just like he was,” Olabisi noted, framing the dispute as a test of democratic legitimacy.
For Osun residents, this legal tug-of-war threatens local governance stability, with dueling councils vying for control. The APC portrays Adeleke’s moves as a desperate bid to cling to power, while the governor’s camp likely views it as defending PDP’s mandate. As the courts weigh in, the outcome could reshape Osun’s political landscape—or deepen its divisions.
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