The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State has pulled out of the local government election scheduled for Saturday, February 22. The party announced its decision in a letter dated February 17, signed by its State Publicity Secretary, Alao Kamorudeen, and addressed to the Secretary of the State Independent Electoral Commission.
The withdrawal follows the Court of Appeal ruling on February 10, which reinstated the party’s chairmen and councillors who were earlier removed from office. The APC stated that since its elected officers had resumed duty, the election was no longer necessary.
Court Ruling and APC’s Position
The letter from the APC read: “Recall that the judgment of the Federal High Court in suit No. FHF/OS/CS/94/2022 was meritoriously nullified on February 10 by the Court of Appeal in Akure, in appeal No. CA/AK/270/2022 between APC and three others v. Peoples Democratic Party and others.”
The party further argued that the ruling meant there were no vacant seats to contest.
“By the judgment, the elected officers have resumed office as allowed by the Appeal Court. The implication of the Court of Appeal judgment is that the seats are no longer vacant,” the APC stated.
The party then officially withdrew from the election, calling it “unnecessary, superfluous, and unlawful” due to the new legal developments.
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Dispute Between APC and PDP
The withdrawal comes amid a heated dispute between the APC and the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over the interpretation of the Court of Appeal judgment.
While the PDP argued that the February 10 ruling did not reinstate the sacked APC chairmen and councillors, the APC maintained that their members had legally resumed office and should remain in charge of local government secretariats.
Tensions escalated on Monday as both parties attempted to take control of local government secretariats across the state. Violence broke out in several areas, leading to the deaths of six people and injuries to many others.
Police Confirm Fatalities Amid Political Tension
The Osun State Police Command confirmed the violent clashes, stating that six people lost their lives while many others were injured during the crisis. Security forces have since been deployed to restore order and prevent further violence.
Political analysts say the APC’s withdrawal from the election is a major turning point, but concerns remain over how the dispute over local government leadership will be resolved. Residents of Osun State are now waiting to see how the electoral commission and the courts will handle the situation moving forward.