Armed police operatives took strategic positions at the entrances of several local government secretariats in Osun State on Tuesday, following uncertainty over the tenure of elected local government officials.
Security personnel were particularly noticeable at the secretariats of Osogbo North and South, Egbedore, and Ejigbo Local Government Areas, among others.
The heightened security presence comes in the wake of Monday’s Court of Appeal judgment in Akure, which upheld the appeal filed by chairmen elected under the All Progressives Congress in the October 15, 2022, local government election.
The chairmen and councillors, initially sacked in November 2022 by Justice Nathaniel Ayo-Emmanuel of the Osogbo Federal High Court, had their appeal upheld on Monday.
However, the judgment has sparked conflicting interpretations.
While APC members insist the ruling automatically restores the sacked LG officials to office, the Osun State Government has countered this claim, maintaining that the court did not reinstate them.
In a statement, Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, cautioned against any actions that could disrupt public order, stressing that security agencies had been directed to maintain peace.
Confirming the deployment, Osun State Police Public Relations Officer, Yemisi Opalola, said the measure was preventive.
“We do not want any breakdown of law and order. The deployment is related to the recent appeal court judgment on the last local government election.
“We have not received any court order, but we are closely monitoring the situation to ensure peace,” Opalola stated.
Speaking on the ruling, Osun State Attorney General, Oluwole Jimi-Bada, emphasised that the Court of Appeal did not reinstate the sacked chairmen.
“The court did not examine the merits of the APC’s appeal but merely ruled that the PDP’s suit against the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission was premature.
“It did not order that the sacked chairmen be reinstated. Nowhere in the ruling was such a statement made,” Jimi-Bada stated.
At the Olorunda LG secretariat in Igbona, Osogbo, movement in and out of the premises continued, though armed police officers conducted checks at the gate.
A similar security setup was observed at the Osogbo LG secretariat in Oke Baale, where members of the National Union of Local Government Employees assisted security personnel in verifying staff identities before granting access.
At the Ejigbo LG secretariat, a source revealed that police operatives initially locked the gate around 8:30 a.m. before later allowing workers inside.
“Police officers showed up unannounced, and at first, they prevented people from entering. However, after consulting with NULGE officials, staff were eventually allowed inside,” a local government employee disclosed under anonymity.
