APC Ignorant of Constitution - Osun Assembly

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The Chief Press Secretary to the Speaker, Osun State House of Assembly, Tiamiyu Olamide has said that the ignorance of All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state to the constitution is alarming.

Tiamiyu in a statement on Thursday described the statement by APC as a reckless attempt by the APC to mislead the public, undermine democratic institutions, and drag the good name of Osun State into unwarranted ridicule.

He added that political disagreement must not be allowed to degenerate into deliberate falsehoods and institutional ridicule.

The statement reads, “The Osun State House of Assembly, under the principled and steady leadership of the Rt. Hon. Adewale Egbedun, has read with grave concern the press statement credited to the Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

“The statement, unfortunately, represents a dangerous cocktail of misinformation, legal distortion, and reckless political theatrics that compels the Assembly to respond in defence of truth, constitutional order, and the integrity of Osun State.

“Ordinarily, the Osun State House of Assembly refrains from responding to partisan commentary. However, the reckless attempt by the APC to mislead the public, undermine democratic institutions, and drag the good name of Osun State into unwarranted ridicule makes this clarification both necessary and unavoidable.

“To begin with, it must be stated categorically that no court of competent jurisdiction has nullified the local government elections conducted by the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSSIEC) on 22 February 2025.

“As a matter of fact, the Court of Appeal sitting in Akure, while unanimously affirming the sack of the APC Chairmen on the 13th day of June, 2025, did not mince words in recognising the election conducted on the 22nd February, 2025, thereby holding the PDP Chairmen and councillors out as the democratically elected Councils.

“In the absence of any such judicial pronouncement, the chairmen and councillors elected at that exercise remain validly elected officers in the eyes of the law. Political rhetoric cannot override constitutional and judicial realities.

“The Osun APC’s narrative further suggests that it operates under a constitutional framework different from the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended). Section 7(1) of the Constitution expressly empowers State Houses of Assembly to legislate on local government matters.

“The Osun State House of Assembly has acted strictly within this constitutional mandate and has neither usurped nor diminished the lawful functions of local government councils.

“The APC’s persistent misrepresentation of the Supreme Court judgment in the case between the Attorney-General of the Federation and the States is both misleading and disingenuous.

“The Supreme Court’s decision simply affirmed that local government allocations should be paid directly into the accounts of local governments, thereby ending executive interference through state-controlled joint accounts.

“The judgment did not abrogate the constitutional powers of State Houses of Assembly, nor did it prohibit legitimate legislative engagements with local government councils.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the governor does not “assist” local governments in presenting budgets, and the Osun State House of Assembly has not taken over the functions of local legislative councils.

“Any interactions between the Assembly and local government executives have been conducted within the confines of constitutional propriety and established democratic practice.

“The resort to abusive language and theatrical expressions in the APC’s statement exposes a party struggling with opposition politics and legal clarity.

“Instead of offering constructive criticism, the APC has chosen to misinform the public and portray Osun State as intellectually deficient before the rest of the nation. This is regrettable and unacceptable.

“The Osun APC is advised to learn the principles of responsible opposition from its counterparts in other states and to familiarise itself with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution (as amended). Political disagreement must not be allowed to degenerate into deliberate falsehoods and institutional ridicule.

“The Osun State House of Assembly, under the leadership of the Rt. Hon. Adewale Egbedun, remains steadfast in its commitment to constitutionalism, the rule of law, and the defence of democratic institutions.

“The Assembly will continue to discharge its responsibilities with integrity, restraint, and an unwavering focus on the interests of the people of Osun State.”