The political dispute over the control of local government councils in Osun State intensified on Thursday as the state government sought police protection for chairmen elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, while the All Progressives Congress, APC, urged security agencies to prevent what it described as an unlawful takeover of council secretariats.
The development followed the June 15, 2026 judgment of the Federal High Court in Osogbo, which dismissed a suit filed by chairmen elected under the APC in the October 15, 2022 local government election and rejected their request for tenure elongation.
In a letter dated June 18, 2026 and addressed to the Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Zone XI Headquarters, Osogbo, counsel to the Osun State Government and the local government areas, Oluwabusola Oluwaniyi, requested police protection for officials elected in the February 22, 2025 local government election to enable them to resume office.
The government also urged the police to remove APC chairmen currently occupying council secretariats across the state, arguing that the Federal High Court had dismissed all the reliefs sought by the officials, including prayers to continue in office and requests restraining their removal.
According to the letter, Governor Ademola Adeleke directed security agencies to ensure the safety of local government staff and facilitate the resumption of officials elected in the 2025 poll.
The government maintained that there was no court order staying the judgment or restraining its enforcement.
The letter stated, “All the reliefs specifically sought by them were expressly refused by the court, and
