Osun APC withdraws from the Feb. 22 local election, citing a Court of Appeal ruling that reinstated its chairmen and councillors

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State has officially withdrawn from the upcoming local government elections scheduled for Saturday, February 22.

Also read: PDP chieftain demands retraction over N40m fraud allegation

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 Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSSIEC).

A copy of the letter, obtained by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), stated that APC’s withdrawal was based on the Court of Appeal judgment delivered on February 10.

The ruling overturned a previous Federal High Court verdict and reinstated the party’s chairmen and councillors.

According to the APC, the Court of Appeal ruling in Akure (Appeal No. CA/AK/270/2022) nullified the earlier decision of the Federal High Court (Suit No. FHF/OS/CS/94/2022), which had removed its elected local government officials.

The party emphasised that the reinstatement of these officials meant that the local government seats were no longer vacant, making the upcoming election unnecessary.

“In view of the foregoing, we hereby state that APC and all its candidates withdraw from the local government election scheduled for February 22,” the letter read.

“The election has become unnecessary, superfluous, and unlawful with this development.”

The withdrawal comes amid escalating tensions between the APC and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over the status of local government leadership in Osun.

While the PDP argues that the February 10 judgment did not reinstate the sacked APC chairmen and councillors, the APC insists that their return to office is legitimate.

This dispute has led to violent clashes across the state, with both parties attempting to take control of local government secretariats.

On Monday, the crisis took a deadly turn, as police confirmed that six people lost their lives and several others were injured during the confrontations.

With the APC’s withdrawal from the election, the future of local governance in Osun remains uncertain.

The PDP and other political stakeholders are expected to respond to this latest development, while security agencies continue to monitor the escalating situation to prevent further violence.