Supreme Court ruling splits APC, PDP in Osun as both claim victory

The All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Osun State, Adedamola Adebayo, have reacted differently to the recent Supreme Court ruling on withheld local government funds.

Both sides claimed the judgement favoured them and warned their supporters to stay calm.

The reactions were issued separately on Saturday in Osogbo.

APC’s reaction

The Osun APC Chairman, Tajudeen Lawal, said the party was happy with the Supreme Court decision. According to him, the ruling supported the July 2024 judgement that gave financial freedom to local governments.

The party argued that the judgement again made the actions of the PDP chairmen and councillors invalid because they were “illegally elected.”

The APC also criticized the Osun State House of Assembly for quickly passing the Local Government Accounts Administration Bill, 2025, shortly after the judgement. The party called the move unconstitutional and said lawmakers were trying to weaken the authority of legally reinstated local government officials.

The APC warned that the bill would not stand and asked the public to hold lawmakers responsible for their actions. It also accused some individuals of impersonating officials of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON).

PDP candidate reacts

On the other hand, PDP governorship candidate Adedamola Adebayo, who recently won the party’s primary election, said the judgement supported his party.

He insisted that the ruling cleared the way for PDP-elected chairmen to take office and asked party members to celebrate peacefully. He cautioned supporters against any form of violence and promised to use legal means to ensure PDP officials take charge of local governments.

Adebayo praised PDP members for remaining disciplined throughout the court case and urged them to stay committed as the 2026 election approaches.

Background

On Friday, the Supreme Court struck out a case filed by the Osun State Government asking the Federal Government to release withheld local government allocations. Six out of seven justices ruled that the case lacked legal basis.

Following the ruling, both PDP and APC groups claimed success and welcomed the decision.

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