The Osun State Government has responded to Prince Lateef Fagbemi, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, who called for the suspension of the Saturday local government elections in Osun State.
As was previously mentioned, Fagbemi had requested that Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke immediately suspend the Local Government election process.
According to the AGF’s statement released on Thursday, the law’s stance on the developments that are causing tension between the PDP and the All Progressives Congress (APC) is unambiguous.
The governor used the court’s ruling to remove the local government chairmen who were chosen by the administration, according to Fagbemi.
However, in response to the decision dismissing former LG chairmen, Special Adviser to Osun Governor on Legal Matters Nurudeen Kareem said in a statement late Thursday night that the ruling is still in effect, enforceable, and binding until it is reversed by a higher court with the necessary authority.
In the matter of WADA v. BELLO (2016) 17 NWLR PT 1542 433, he urged the AGF to clarify a Supreme Court ruling that states that judgements must be followed by all courts, whether they are higher or lower in the court hierarchy.
The Honourable Attorney-General of the Federation and Justice Minister, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, provided insightful commentary on the ruling in the PDP against APC dispute pertaining to the 2022 Osun local government election, for which Kareem expressed his gratitude.
The Federal High Court’s ruling in FHC/OS/CS/103/2022, which was later upheld by the Court of Appeal on January 13, 2025, makes the APP v. APC case still relevant, even though we accept the AGF’s position on the PDP’s action.
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“We firmly believe that the Federal High Court’s November 30, 2022, ruling in FHC/OS/CS/103/2022 is still in effect, enforceable, and binding until it is overturned by a higher court with the proper authority. This idea has been firmly established by court rulings, such as the Supreme Court’s ruling in WADA v. BELLO (2016) 17 NWLR PT 1542 433, which upholds the requirement that all courts, regardless of their position in the court hierarchy, follow judgments.
“We humbly request that the AGF clarify this issue, considering the importance of this ruling for the integrity of our electoral processes. We think his well-informed perspective would help people in Osun and throughout Nigeria gain a better grasp of the legal environment surrounding these elections.
“I appreciate your consideration of this urgent matter.”
