Sacked Osun LG Chairs, Councillors To Remain In Office

Sacked local government Chairmen and councillors in Osun State are expected to remain in office despite the court ruling that nullified their election.

Recall that the Federal High Court sitting in Osogbo had nullified the October 15 local government elections in the state.

However, the House of Assembly in the state said since the court ruling which sacked the chairmen had been appealed, the officials should be allowed to remain in office.

Legislators revealed this in a statement released by the press secretary to the speaker of the Assembly, Kunle Alabi.

The Osun State Independent Electoral Commission through its Executive Secretary, Adedapo Adejumo had withdrawn Certificates of Return issued to the chairmen and councillors.

Lawmakers in the assembly said they decided that the council officials should remain in the office during a plenary.

The Assembly claimed that the Speaker, Timothy Owoeye briefed lawmakers on the outcome of his meeting with the State Governor, Ademola Adeleke.

He further stated that there was an agreement between the Governor and the house that lawmakers should be carried along on matters that concern the legislature.

The statement reads, “On the issue of LG administration, Owoeye informed the plenary of a notice of appeal against the decision of a Federal High Court judgment served on the 7th Assembly.

“The House thereby resolves that the issue of Local Government administration should be left to the court of law, ordering a status quo on all Local Government administration pending the exhaustion of all legal means.

“This is the Osun State House of Assembly, anything we are doing has to be to the development and progress of this state, we have not done anything wrong or foul of the law.

“As an institution, we x-ray and scan whatever we disseminate because as far as the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is concerned, we are performing legislative duties and our functions as legislators.

“When Aregbesola took over the mantle of leadership in 2010, the PDP-controlled local government was still in place and the status quo remained. Nobody dissolved the local government until all legal processes were completed.”