Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State has decried the illegal extension of self-awarded tenure by chairmen and councillors of the All Progressive Congress (APC), declaring that tenure elongation is not allowed under the Nigerian constitution and within the context of established Supreme Court precedents.
In a statewide broadcast from Osogbo, the governor said it is a settled matter of law that the tenure of elected officials in Nigeria cannot be extended beyond its expiration date, citing a Supreme Court ruling involving a former governor of Oyo State, which held that tenure could not be extended even after reinstatement following unlawful removal from office.
Adeleke disclosed that in several court filings that have become public documents, including proceedings before the Supreme Court, lawyers to the APC chairmen and councillors, as well as the Attorney-General of the Federation, admitted that the officials had no lawful claim to office beyond October 22, 2025.
To further affirm that their tenure had expired, the governor said the APC chairmen and councillors approached the Federal High Court seeking an extension of their tenure, noting that although the case is yet to be heard, the act of seeking an extension amounts to a clear admission in law and fact that their tenure had ended.R
Read also: Osun governorship: Adeleke tackles Oyebamiji over economic blueprint
Adeleke accused the APC officials of continuing to occupy local government secretariats by force, allegedly with police protection acting on the instructions of former Governor Gboyega Oyetola.
The governor expressed sadness that in a democracy, the APC chairmen and councillors openly threatened on their social media platforms to continue occupying the local government secretariats for as long as they wished, claiming the backing of the former governor.
Charging Oyetola to allow Osun State to breathe, Adeleke further accused the former governor of weaponizing federal institutions, particularly the Nigerian Police Force and the United Bank for Africa Plc (UBA), to impose hardship on Osun residents through alleged illegal directives, adding that he had formally written to heads of relevant federal security agencies over actions threatening peace and order in the state.
The governor also accused UBA of allegedly allowing unauthorised persons to operate local government accounts, noting that senior bank officials involved are already facing criminal prosecution, and questioned whether such conduct would be tolerated in jurisdictions such as New York or London where the bank operates.
He appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene by stopping the former governor from issuing alleged illegal directives to the police, warning that the President’s name was being used without his knowledge to compel the Nigerian Police and UBA to act.
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