“OSSIEC Confirms February 22, 2025 Local Government Election in Osun State”

The Chairman of the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSSIEC), Hashim Abioye, has reaffirmed that the Local Government election in Osun State will take place as scheduled on Saturday, February 22, 2025.

Addressing concerns at the OSSIEC headquarters in Osogbo on Monday, Abioye clarified that there are no legal obstacles preventing the election from proceeding. He dismissed claims suggesting that any court order had reinstated previously sacked local government officials or halted the election process.

“There is no court order stopping the conduct of the election that is scheduled for February 22, 2025,” Abioye stated.

The OSSIEC Chairman emphasized that all 30 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Osun State remain vacant and are in need of elections to fill the positions. He reassured the public of the commission’s commitment to ensuring a free, fair, and credible election, while urging political parties to continue their campaigns peacefully.

Abioye also addressed the recent ruling by the Court of Appeal regarding the disputed 2022 Osun local government elections. He explained that the court had struck out the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) suit challenging the election results, citing the fact that the case had been filed before OSSIEC issued the official notice for the election.

“The Court of Appeal reasoned that the suit was filed before the Notice of Election was issued by OSSIEC. It must be noted that the OSSIEC Law 2022 was enacted during the pendency of the suit, and the notice of election was officially issued thereafter,” he clarified.

He further reminded the public that the Federal High Court had previously annulled the 2022 election and removed the APC-backed officials from office. However, after appealing the decision, the APC’s case was struck out by the Court of Appeal in January 2025, which dismissed the suit as speculative.

Abioye reiterated that, as it stands, there is no legal barrier preventing OSSIEC from proceeding with the planned election.

“To this effect, there is no order returning any purported elected officials of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to office. Moreover, there is no order halting the conduct of the election already scheduled for February 22, 2025,” he confirmed.

With these clarifications, OSSIEC is moving forward with preparations for the upcoming local government election. Political parties and candidates are now free to continue their campaigns as they prepare to contest leadership positions in the 30 Local Government Areas of Osun State.