Hot SourceFolalumi Alaran in Abuja
The Nigeria Society for Democracy and Good Governance (NSDGG) and the Coalition of Civil Society for Justice and Equity have issued a strong call to the federal government to uphold the rule of law and restore democratic governance in Osun State, following what they described as the “unlawful occupation” of local government council secretariats by officials of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
In separate press statements made available to THISDAY yesterday in Abuja, both groups urged the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, and the Minister of Finance to take urgent steps to implement existing court rulings declaring the APC officials’ occupancy of council offices illegal.
Spokesperson of the NSDGG, Amb. Usman Saidu Calculus, decried the continued occupation of the council offices by APC members despite the election of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chairmen and Councillors on February 22, 2025.
He warned that the refusal to enforce judicial pronouncements posed a direct threat to democracy in the state.
The statement read: “This blatant disregard for the rule of law not only undermines the will of the people but also leads to the misallocation of public funds to individuals without any legal or electoral mandate, we call on the Honourable Attorney General to collaborate with the Minister of Finance to ensure that public resources are directed only to duly elected officials.”
The group emphasised that the elections, conducted by the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSSIEC), were in accordance with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2022 and backed by a valid notice issued on February 19, 2024.
Echoing similar concerns, Comrade Collins Idowu, Chairman of the Coalition of Civil Society for Justice and Equity, appealed directly to the minister of finance to halt all financial allocations to the APC officials still occupying the secretariats.
Idowu said: “Continued funding of these individuals constitutes a gross misuse of public funds and a violation of democratic principles, the minister must act decisively to protect the integrity of public finance and democratic institutions by ensuring that only the duly elected PDP officials receive government funds.”
He warned that failure to act could further erode public confidence and lead to deeper political instability in the state.
Both organisations stressed that their demands were not partisan, but grounded in the principles of justice, constitutionalism, and the sanctity of the ballot.
They called on the federal government to take immediate action to prevent a constitutional crisis, reiterating that the voices and votes of Osun citizens must be respected and protected.
