Adeleke orders restriction of vehicular movement for Osun LG poll

Ademola Adeleke, the governor of Osun, has ordered the restriction of vehicular movement during the LGA election in the state.

The chairmanship and councillorship election will be held on February 22, in the 30 LGAs and 323 wards in the state.

Olawale Rasheed, the spokesperson to Adeleke, announced the restriction order in a statement issued on Friday.

Rasheed stated that the restriction will take effect from 5 am to 5 pm on Saturday, with security operatives deployed to enforce compliance.

He added that the governor also asked security agencies to enforce the restriction and only allow voters and accredited media and civil society organisations for the continued peace and security of the state.

The governor’s spokesperson noted that the movement restriction is necessary to prevent the “importation of hoodlums into the state amidst local elections.”

There has been controversy in Osun state over the planned LG election and the judgment of the court of appeal.

The buildup of the election has been marred by violent clashes between some supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), resulting in loss of life.

The crisis in the state stemmed from the judgment of the court of appeal on sacked council chairpersons and councillors—who are members of the APC.

The PDP claimed that the February 10 judgment of the court of appeal in Akure, Ondo state, did not reinstate the sacked chairpersons and councillors, while the APC insisted that it did.

On Thursday, Lateef Fagbemi, the attorney-general of the federation (AGF) and minister of justice, said the ousted LG chairpersons must be reinstated since the court of appeal had dismissed the judgment of the lower court that sacked them.

Earlier today, Adeleke insisted that the planned LG election would be held despite the advice of the AGF.

Subsequently, the Osun state high court in Osogbo ordered the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSIEC) to conduct Saturday’s LG election.

In November 2022, the Osun governor directed the heads of LGAs and council development areas to take charge of their councils.

The governor said the decision was in compliance with a federal high court judgment that declared the LG election that brought the chairpersons and councillors into office as illegal.