The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State has withdrawn from the local government election scheduled for Saturday, February 22, following a recent Court of Appeal judgment that reinstated its previously sacked chairmen and councillors.
This decision was conveyed in a letter dated February 17, signed by APC State Publicity Secretary, Alao Kamorudeen, and addressed to the Secretary of the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSIEC). A copy of the letter, obtained by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Osogbo, stated that the party’s participation in the election was no longer necessary.
“Recall that the judgment of the Federal High Court in suit No. FHF/OS/CS/94/2022 was meritoriously nullified on February 10 by the Court of Appeal in Akure, in appeal No. CA/AK/270/2022 between APC and three others v. Peoples Democratic Party and others. By the judgment, the elected officers have resumed office as allowed by the Appeal Court,” the letter read.
The APC emphasized that the reinstatement of its elected officers rendered the upcoming election “unnecessary, superfluous, and unlawful.” As a result, both the party and its candidates officially withdrew from the poll.
The withdrawal follows a heated dispute between the APC and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over the interpretation of the Court of Appeal judgment. While the PDP argued that the ruling did not reinstate the APC officials elected in 2022, the APC maintained that the judgment restored its chairmen and councillors to their respective offices.
Tensions escalated on Monday when both parties clashed over control of local government secretariats across the state, resulting in the deaths of six individuals and injuries to numerous others, according to the police.
Despite the controversy, the APC has made it clear that its decision to withdraw from the February 22 election aligns with the legal developments stemming from the recent appellate court ruling.
