Osun LG Tenure of Office: Court Adjourns For Hearing of Pending Applications

The Federal High Court sitting in Osogbo, Osun State Capital, on Wednesday November 27, 2025, adjourned to February 3rd, 2026 for hearing of all pending applications in a suit instituted by the reinstated Chairmen and Councilors of the All Progressives Congress, APC seeking legal determination of their tenure and challenging the validity of Local Government Elections allegedly conducted in February, 2025 by the incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke in the state.

Recall that the APC reinstated council officers in suit No. FHC/OS/CS/147/2025 between Onibonokuta Saheed & 7 Ors v AGF & 6 Ors, the Plaintiffs seek among other reliefs whether they are entitled to 3 years in office commencing from February, 2025 and whether the OSSIEC could validly on 22nd February, 2025 conduct elections into the same offices during the subsistence of their tenure of office.

It is on record that Osun Local Government tussle has become a subject of public debate and litigation since the reinstatement of the elected Chairmen and Councillors of the All Progressives Congress APC by the Court of Appeal in February 10, 2025.

At the hearing on Wednesday, Muhydeen Adeoye Esq., counsel for the Plaintiffs, raised a fundamental oral application on the failure of the Respondents to file a Memorandum of Appearance as required by the Rules of the Honourable Court.

Arguing on the point of law, Mr. Adeoye Esq contented that the failure of the Respondents to enter appearance through the Memorandum of Appearance as mandatorily stipulated by the Rules was in gross violation of the court rules which amounted to technical knockout for the Respondents and thereby urging the court to strike out all the defences of the Osun State Government and OSSIEC filed in the matter.

“Raising this application before my Lord is to inform this Honourable court that the Respondents having failed to file the said memorandum of appearance, do not have right of audience hence the quest for the outright striking out of their processes including their pending applications.

“As a matter of law, failure to file a memorandum of appearance automatically erodes power of court to grant audience to the Respondents’ Mr. Adeoye submitted.

Countering the argument, Counsel for 3rd and 4th respondents, Mr. J. A Lukman Esq. urged the court to discontenance the objection and allow the regularization of the pending applications in that such sought by the Plaintiffs was technical justice.

“This matter commenced by originating summons and we urge the Court to discontenance the application and allow us to file the regularization”, Barrister Lukman urged.

In her ruling, the presiding judge, Justice Adefunmilola Demi-Ajayi granted waiver in the interest of justice, stating that she had power to grant a waive in the instant case and so granted in the interest of Justice.

Justice Demi-Ajayi therefore adjourned the hearing of all the pending applications to 3rd February, 2026.