The Osun State Government has formally written to the Department of State Services (DSS), the Nigeria Police Force, and other security agencies, requesting adequate security for elected local government chairmen and staff across the state following a recent Federal High Court judgment in Osogbo.
In a letter dated June 18, 2026, signed by the law firm of Musibau Adetunbi SAN & Co. on behalf of the Osun State Government and the state's local government councils, security agencies were urged to ensure the safe resumption of duties by local government officials elected in the February 22, 2025 local government election.
According to the letter, the Federal High Court sitting in Osogbo, presided over by Justice Adefunmilola Demi-Ajayi, dismissed a suit filed by the APC local government chairmen seeking tenure elongation and other reliefs that would have allowed them to remain in office.
The government's solicitors stated that the APC chairmen had asked the court to invalidate the 2025 local government election, nullify the oath of office taken by the elected chairmen, restrain their removal from council secretariats, and compel security agencies to continue providing protection for them while in office.
However, the letter noted that the court rejected all the reliefs sought and dismissed the originating summons in its entirety.
The legal representatives further informed security agencies that there is currently no court order staying the execution of the judgment, stressing that the mere filing of an appeal does not automatically suspend the implementation of a court's decision.
Consequently, the solicitors urged the DSS, Police, and other security agencies to remove what they described as "illegal occupiers" from local government secretariats and provide security to enable the duly elected council chairmen and officials to resume their duties without disruption.
The development is expected to intensify the political and legal contest over the control of local government councils in Osun State, as both the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) continue to stake claims to the administration of the councils.
