A State High Court has heard a series of allegations regarding the proposed poll that the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State and other 19 party candidates for the upcoming local government election in the state have brought against Governor Ademola Adeleke and the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSIEC).

In Suit No. Hos/184/2024, the claimants contested the legitimacy of the whole Local Government Elections slated for February 2025, submitting their case for a judicial ruling on many legal violations.

Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke and Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice Barrister Oluwole Jimi-Bada have joined the lawsuit as co-defendants.

Recall that the leadership of the impacted party disagreed with the September decision made by OSSIEC Chairman Barrister Hashim Abioye to disqualify some APC candidates from running in the election.

The claimants criticised the state electoral commission’s handling of the entire process in the original summons, which was signed by their attorney, Muhydeen Adeoye, and shown to reporters in Osogbo on Saturday.

In their request, the claimants sought a court ruling on a wide range of legal issues, including: “whether the defendants’ failure to establish the Local Government and Area Council Election Tribunal or cause the constitution to be amended in order to give the claimants the opportunity to voice their grievances regarding the decision(s) of the first defendant before the election is not a wrongful and unlawful omission such that has rendered the first defendant’s actions thus far from July 22, 2024, in connection with the First Schedule of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended), Sections 2 and 29 of the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission Law, 2022 Due to the anticipated 2025 Local Government Elections being premature, unlawful, and void, the claimants were denied admission to the designated Tribunal over the rulings made by the First Defendant against them.

Regarding Osun State Independent Electoral Commission Law, 2022, Sections 13, 15, and 24(1), the question is whether the first defendant has legal authority to change a Notice of Elections that was published on February 19, 2024, halfway through the 2025 Local Government Elections.

As per the counsel, the claimants prayed to the court for a declaration that the actions taken by the first defendant starting on July 22, 2024, are premature, illegal, and void. They also requested that the court grant them access to the Tribunal to challenge the decisions made by the first defendant against them.

In addition, the claimants asked the court to declare the modified Notice of Elections for the 2025 Local Government Councils from the first defendant to be illegal, unlawful, invalid, and void.

They requested an order from the court directing the defendants to jointly or severally pay the claimants damages in the amount of one hundred million naira only (#100,000,000.00) and to issue a written apology to the claimants for the trauma, disruption, and public humiliation they suffered as a result of the first defendant’s attempt to deny them the chance to fully participate in the Osun State local government elections in 2025.