Despite AGF’s warning, court orders conduct of Osun LG polls Saturday

The Osun State High Court in Ilesa on Friday ordered the State Independent Electoral Commission, OSSIEC to conduct elections for the vacant positions of local government chairmen and councillors in all the 30 local government areas and the area offices on Saturday.

Justice A. Aderigbigbe, who gave the judgement stated that there is vacancy in the 30 local government areas of the state as held by the judgement of the Federal High Court.

This order was sequel to a suit brought before the court by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP one of the political parties participating in the election.

The court also directed and compelled all the security agencies, including the Nigeria Police, Department of State Security Services, DSS, Nigeria Army, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps, NSCDC amongst others to provide adequate security, during and after the election.

This is coming amid warning by the Attorney General of the Federation, AGF and Minister of Justice Lateef Fagbemi, who said the planned LG election was unconstitutional.

The AGF had in a statement on Thursday said the election will not hold, citing a recent Court of Appeal decision that restored previously sacked local council officials in Osun State.

But the state government remained defiant, with Governor Ademola Adeleke urging registered voters in the state in a state-wide broadcast on Thursday to go out to vote during the election scheduled for Saturday.