The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun has withdrawn from the local government election scheduled for Saturday, February 22.
This was contained in a letter dated February 17, signed by the APC State Publicity Secretary, Alao Kamorudeen, and addressed to the Secretary of the State Independent Electoral Commission.
A copy of the letter obtained by the News Agency of Nigeria on Thursday in Osogbo stated that the APC would not participate due to the February 10 Court of Appeal judgment, which reinstated its chairmen and councillors.
The letter read: “Recall that the judgment of the Federal High Court in suit No. FHF/OS/CS/94/2022 was meritoriously nullified on February 10 by the Court of Appeal in Akure, in appeal No. CA/AK/270/2022 between APC and three others v. Peoples Democratic Party and others.
“By the judgment, the elected officers have resumed office as allowed by the Appeal Court.
“The implication of the Court of Appeal judgment, as cited above, is that the seats are no longer vacant.
“In view of the foregoing, we hereby state that the APC and all its candidates have, by this letter, informed the commission of our withdrawal from the local government election scheduled for February 22.
“The same has become unnecessary, superfluous, and unlawful due to this development.”
There was a crisis between the APC and PDP over the Court of Appeal judgment regarding the sacked APC council chairmen and councillors.
While the PDP claimed that the February 10 judgment of the Court of Appeal, Akure, did not reinstate the sacked APC chairmen and councillors elected in 2022, the APC insisted on their return to local government secretariats.
Crisis, however, erupted on Monday when both parties laid claim to local government secretariats across the state.
The police confirmed that six people lost their lives, and scores were injured during the crisis.
The PUNCH
