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| (Image credit: ResearchGate) |
The entrances of several local government secretariats in Osun State were heavily guarded by armed police operatives on Tuesday, following a recent Court of Appeal judgment that has sparked conflicting interpretations, according to Punch Newspaper.
The heightened security presence was particularly noticeable at the secretariats of Osogbo North and South, Egbedore, and Ejigbo Local Government Areas. This development comes after the Court of Appeal in Akure upheld the appeal filed by chairmen elected under the All Progressives Congress in the October 15, 2022, local government election.
However, the judgment has led to differing opinions on the fate of the sacked local government officials. While APC members claim that the ruling automatically restores the sacked officials to office, the Osun State Government has countered this assertion, stating that the court did not reinstate them.
In a bid to maintain public order, the Osun State Government has directed security agencies to ensure peace and stability in the state. Confirming the deployment of police operatives, Osun State Police Public Relations Officer, Yemisi Opalola, stated that the measure was preventive.
According to Opalola, "We do not want any breakdown of law and order. The deployment is related to the recent appeal court judgment on the last local government election. We have not received any court order, but we are closely monitoring the situation to ensure peace."
Osun State Attorney General, Oluwole Jimi-Bada, emphasized that the Court of Appeal did not reinstate the sacked chairmen. "The court did not examine the merits of the APC's appeal but merely ruled that the PDP's suit against the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission was premature. It did not order that the sacked chairmen be reinstated. Nowhere in the ruling was such a statement made," Jimi-Bada stated.
The increased security presence was evident at various local government secretariats, with police operatives conducting checks at the gates and verifying staff identities before granting access.
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