The Osun State House of Assembly has reaffirmed the legitimacy of local government chairmen and councillors elected on February 22, 2025, declaring the 2022 local government elections “unconstitutional, null, and void.”
In a resolution passed during plenary on Thursday, June 19, 2025, the Assembly condemned what it described as the illegal occupation of local government secretariats by individuals whose 2022 elections had been invalidated by the Federal High Court and subsequently upheld by the Court of Appeal, Akure Division, on June 13, 2025.
Citing Section 7(1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which guarantees democratically elected local government systems, the House insisted that only the officials elected in the February 2025 elections have the constitutional mandate to operate at the third tier of government in Osun.
Speaker of the House, Adewale Egbedun, who signed the resolution, issued a stern warning to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and other financial institutions against recognising or granting access to statutory local government funds to persons the Assembly described as “impostors.”
“It is an affront to the laws of Osun State and the Nigerian Constitution for any bank, including the CBN, to process local government funds using individuals whose certificates of return have been withdrawn by the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSSIEC) and whose elections were nullified by competent courts,” the resolution read.
The House referenced a letter from OSSIEC to the CBN dated June 18, 2025, which officially confirmed the withdrawal of certificates of return issued for the annulled 2022 elections. The letter also clarified that fresh elections had been held in early 2025 and new winners duly declared and inaugurated.
The Assembly condemned any attempt by unauthorised individuals to access local government funds, stating that such actions amount to financial crime and diversion of public funds.
Lawmakers also expressed concern over delays in the release of local government allocations and urged the Accountant-General of the Federation and the Minister of Finance to immediately disburse all outstanding funds through the constitutionally recognised local government accounts.
They further clarified that, in line with the 2025 Guidelines for Local Government Administration, only the Director of Finance and the Director of Administration and General Services are authorised signatories to local government accounts.
The Assembly concluded by reaffirming its commitment to defending local government autonomy, upholding constitutional order, and protecting the integrity of public institutions in Osun State.
