By Michael Ofulue, Osogbo

Tension is heightening in Osun State as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) engage in a fierce war of words over the legal status of local government chairmen and the judiciary’s role in the unfolding crisis.

The ruling party, in a statement, accused the APC of attempting to manipulate the judiciary to retain control of the local government councils.

The party alleged that the APC was deliberately misrepresenting a recent court ruling to mislead the public and justify what it described as the unlawful occupation of council offices.

Hezekiah Olabamiji, the PDP’s Director of Media and Publicity, asserted that no court had reinstated the sacked chairmen, contrary to the claims being circulated by the APC.

“The accusations from the APC are lies from the pit of hell,” Olabamiji said. “The Federal High Court’s judgment sacking them remains valid.”

The PDP further urged the judiciary to resist what it termed persistent blackmail attempts by the opposition and expressed confidence in the independence of the courts. It warned that some APC leaders risk facing contempt charges for allegedly misrepresenting court proceedings.

In a swift reaction, the APC accused the PDP-led state government of attempting to mislead the judiciary through an ex parte motion aimed at halting the release of federal allocations to the reinstated council officials.

A statement issued by Kola Olabisi, the APC’s Director of Media and Information, said the court had declined all the reliefs sought by the state government and ordered all parties to maintain the status quo pending a full hearing scheduled for June 4, 2025.

“The court, sensing a trap in the reliefs presented, declined all requests. It is evident the PDP government is attempting a judicial coup,” Olabisi stated.

The APC further alleged that the state government was seeking favourable judgments through questionable legal tactics, including efforts to exclude necessary parties — a claim the PDP dismissed as baseless and defamatory.

Both parties have continued to present conflicting interpretations of the court rulings to back their respective positions.

While the PDP cites a Federal High Court judgment that nullified the APC-led local councils, the APC references a February 10, 2025, Court of Appeal decision which it claims validated the tenure of the current chairmen.

The APC maintained that disrupting the current leadership would be detrimental to local governance and insisted that legal continuity must be upheld.

The ongoing dispute underscores a deepening political divide in Osun State, with both parties entrenched in a legal and political battle for control of local councils — and, by extension, grassroots power.