Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Prof. Mike Ozekhome, has issued a comprehensive rejoinder challenging the claims made by his colleague, Mr. Kunle Adegoke, SAN, concerning the legal status of the sacked local government chairmen in Osun State. Ozekhome described Adegoke’s widely circulated seven-page letter, dated June 26, 2025, as “misleading” and “legally distorted,” particularly in its interpretation of the Court of Appeal judgment in Appeal No: CA/AK/270/2022. Ozekhome noted Adegoke’s failure to share the letter directly with him despite referencing his legal opinion extensively, an omission he found significant.

Prof. Ozekhome clarified that the Court of Appeal, in its judgment delivered on February 10, 2025, did not affirm the reinstatement of the All Progressives Congress (APC) chairmen and councilors who were removed after the controversial local government elections of October 15, 2022. He stressed that the appellate court merely struck out the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) suit on procedural grounds, deeming the issues “academic.” Ozekhome explicitly stated that the court did not delve into the merits of any alleged reinstatement, asserting that any claim to the contrary is false. He further accused the Osun State chapter of the APC of deliberately misrepresenting the ruling in an attempt to regain control of the local councils, warning that such actions undermine both judicial integrity and democratic principles.

Ozekhome emphasized that the judgment of the Federal High Court in Suit No: FHC/OS/CS/103/22, delivered on November 30, 2022, had unequivocally sacked the APC officials. He highlighted that all subsequent attempts to re-litigate or overturn this decisive judgment had failed. Specifically, the Court of Appeal dismissed the APC’s appeal on January 13, 2025, due to a lack of diligent prosecution, and subsequently rejected their application for relisting the case on June 13, 2025.

In light of these developments, constitutional lawyer Prof. Mike Ozekhome, SAN, has publicly called upon the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, to give full effect to the Court of Appeal judgment delivered on June 13, 2025. Ozekhome asserted that this particular judgment reaffirmed the validity of the Federal High Court judgment of November 30, 2022, which remains binding, thus reinforcing the legal position regarding the sacked local government officials in Osun State.