Lateef Fagbemi under Pressure, May Have Dumped Osun APC: Sticks to Court Interpretation...

Fact Check: Osun APC LG Chairmen Case Is Closed — 

PDP Mandate...

Lateef Fagbemi under Pressure, May Have Dumped Osun APC: Sticks to Court Interpretation...

Osogbo: June 27, 22025

Osun APC LG Chairmen Case Is Closed — PDP Mandate Now Stands, and Legal Finality Must Be Respected

June 27, 2025

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By Newspot Nigeria Editorial Board

In its June 27, 2025 statement, The Osun Masterminds (TOM) accused the Osun State Government of violating a binding court judgment by refusing to reinstate the former APC local government chairmen elected via the controversial “Yes/No” ballot in 2022. This position, however, disregards the most recent legal development: the June 13, 2025 ruling of the Court of Appeal, Akure Division, which definitively dismissed the APC’s attempt to revive its abandoned appeal. The matter is now legally closed.

And while the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, was not referring to Osun in his recent public comments, his caution applies broadly: “Let's stick to the law,” not sentiment or political interpretation.

🔹 1. The June 13 Dismissal of the APP Motion Legally Ended the APC’s Case

On June 13, 2025, the Court of Appeal in Akure dismissed the APC's application to relist its appeal—a case that had earlier been struck out for abandonment on January 13, 2025. The court ruled that:

The APC had failed to pursue the case with diligence.

The application was procedurally defective and filed too late.

The issue had been overtaken by new facts on ground, namely the PDP's lawful February 2025 elections.

This ruling effectively shut down APC’s path to reinstating its 2022 chairmen.

🔹 2. The February 10 Judgment Did Not Reinstate APC Chairmen

The February 10, 2025 ruling cited by TOM simply struck out the earlier Federal High Court judgment on jurisdictional grounds. It did:

Not validate the legality of the Yes/No elections.

Not issue any reinstatement order.

Not compel the Osun State Government to act.

A judgment without clear consequential relief is not enforceable, and this was confirmed by the courts’ later actions.

🔹 3. PDP’s February 2025 LG Elections Are the Valid Legal Mandate

On February 22, 2025, the Osun State Government conducted local government elections. The PDP won all seats, and the elected Chairmen were sworn in the next day. No legal challenge was filed against this election.

The June 13 ruling, while dismissing APC’s motion, recognized that the new elections had legally overtaken any unresolved appeal from 2022. This means the PDP Chairmen are the only constitutionally recognized occupants of LG office in Osun today.

🔹4. AGF’s Role Is Advisory — the Judiciary Has Spoken

Although AGF Lateef Fagbemi had previously offered views on the February 10 ruling, his more recent remarks during the Rivers State emergency in April 2025 carry broader legal significance. As he rightly stated:

“Since we have subjected the matter to court interpretation, let’s wait for the judiciary to make its pronouncement.” — Fagbemi

That pronouncement came on June 13, 2025, when the Court of Appeal dismissed the APC’s application to relist its struck-out appeal—a decision that overrides any earlier interpretations.

🔹 5. No Binding Court Order Mandates Reinstatement — Supreme Court Route Is Impractical

There is no enforceable court order reinstating the APC Chairmen. The only legal option left is a possible Supreme Court appeal—not of the original case, but of the denial to relist it.

Such an appeal would:

Be strictly procedural.

Not affect the legitimacy of the PDP Chairmen.

Likely be dismissed for being moot or for lack of legal standing.

Conclusion: The Rule of Law Has Prevailed

The APC's motion to relist its struck-out APP judgment appeal was dismissed — APC’s appeal is legally closed.

The February 10 ruling was procedural—not a reinstatement.

The PDP's February 2025 election is valid and unchallenged.

The AGF's caution against politicizing court matters affirms the importance of restraint and legality.

The Osun State Government has not disobeyed any binding court judgment. Instead, it has acted in line with the most current and conclusive judicial pronouncement.

Let all well-meaning stakeholders commit to defending the rule of law—not selective interpretations of it.

Culled from the

Newspot Nigeria Editorial Board