The Osun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has assured residents that preparations for the February 22 local government elections remain on course, despite a recent Court of Appeal ruling.
In a statement on Monday, PDP state chairman, Sunday Bisi addressed concerns arising from the judgment, which overturned an earlier decision by the Osogbo Federal High Court.
The PDP dismissed claims by the opposition All Progressives Congress, APC, that the appellate court ruling had halted the elections.
The party also urged Osun residents to stay calm and resist what it described as attempts by the APC to derail democracy.
Bisi declared, “Nothing has changed. We are fully prepared for the upcoming election. We have activated our legal team to challenge the judgment at the Supreme Court.
“We must stand against the APC’s shenanigans, just as we did in the 2022 elections.”
Meanwhile, the Action Peoples Party, APP, in the state has reaffirmed that the 2022 Osun local government election remains nullified, unaffected by Monday’s Court of Appeal ruling.
APP state chairman, Odesola Oluseye Titus clarified this in a statement on Monday.
Odesola dismissed speculation that previously elected officials would be reinstated.
“The judgment delivered in the case filed by APP against APC and OSSIEC on 30th November, 2022 remains unchanged. There is no court order reinstating any Yes or No election candidates,” he affirmed.
He urged Osun residents to prepare for the February 22 polls.
“The upcoming election is a key part of our democracy. Eligible voters must participate actively,” he emphasised.
Meanwhile, the Osun State House of Assembly has warned of an alleged plot by the state chapter of the APC to incite violence following the Appeal Court judgment.
The Assembly Speaker, Adewale Egbedun, made this revelation in a personally signed statement obtained by DAILY POST on Monday.
In the statement, Egbedun said, “We call on the Inspector General of Police to ensure professionalism and neutrality in securing Osun State,”
The Assembly also alleged that former Governor Adegboyega Oyetola was leveraging his federal position as Minister of Marine and Blue Economy to influence security agencies.
“We must not allow Osun to descend into chaos like Rivers State,” the statement warned.
However, the Osun APC in a statement signed by its Director of Media and Information, Kola Olabisi, criticised the Speaker for blaming former Governor Oyetola for the state’s political crisis.
Olabisi said, “It is uncharitable for the Speaker to accuse Oyetola, now a federal minister, of destabilising Osun. The APC has always followed legal processes to seek justice.”
The APC accused the PDP-led government of violating legal provisions and attempting to undermine the court ruling.
“Why does the PDP only accept court decisions when they are in their favour?” Olabisi questioned.