The political landscape in Osun State has erupted into fresh controversy following a Supreme Court judgment on local government allocations, with the ruling All Progressives Congress and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party locked in heated disagreement over the verdict’s implications and allegations of violence.
The Supreme Court on Friday struck out a suit filed by Osun State Attorney General, Oluwole Jimi-Bada, against the Federal Government concerning withheld allocations to local government areas in the state. The case, which named the Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, as defendant, was dismissed with six justices concurring with the lead judgment while one delivered a dissenting opinion from the seven-member panel.
Both political parties have since claimed victory, creating widespread confusion among residents about the actual outcome of the judgment. The APC maintains the ruling vindicates its position, while the PDP insists the verdict affirms the legitimacy of local government elections conducted in February 2025, which its candidates won.
The disagreement has spilled beyond courtroom interpretations into physical confrontations. The Osun APC, through its chairman Tajudeen Lawal, alleged that five of its members were attacked by PDP-linked hoodlums in Otan-Aiyegbaju, Boluwaduro Local Government Area, shortly after the Supreme Court delivered its judgment. The party accused Governor Ademola Adeleke and PDP leaders of deliberately misrepresenting the verdict to incite violence.
Lawal’s statement, issued Saturday in Osogbo, alerted Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun and National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu to what the party described as coordinated plans by the state government to destabilize Osun through misinformation about the judgment. The APC claimed the attacks on its members were grievous and part of a broader pattern of intimidation.
The PDP countered these allegations through its Director of Media and Publicity, Oladele Bamiji, asserting that APC members were actually the aggressors. Bamiji stated that a PDP member, Olugbenga Lawrence, was attacked by APC-linked hoodlums and remains critically ill in hospital. He described Boluwaduro as a flashpoint for APC violence, noting that Governor Adeleke had previously declared a curfew in Igbajo due to unrest in the area.
Bamiji expressed dismay that despite reporting the matter to police, PDP members were arrested instead of the alleged attackers. He characterized this as an attempt by aggressors to deflect responsibility, while insisting his party has consistently advocated for peace as the governing party in the state.
Regarding the Supreme Court judgment, Bamiji maintained that the verdict supports the Appeal Court’s ruling delivered in Akure on June 13, 2025, which declared the February 2025 local government elections valid and properly conducted. He suggested APC leaders were misreading the judgment, emphasizing that the court directed stakeholders to respect democratically elected officials—all of whom belong to the PDP.
The legal battle centers on local government finances and the legitimacy of the council elections, issues that have strained relations between Osun’s state government and opposition parties.
The Supreme Court’s decision to strike out the Attorney General’s suit appears to have resolved the immediate legal question while simultaneously fueling political tensions on the ground.
