The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State has announced its withdrawal from the February 22, 2025, local government elections, citing a recent Appeal Court ruling that reinstated previously elected local government officials.

The party’s decision was communicated in a letter signed by Osun APC Secretary, Alao Olabisi Kamoru, and addressed to the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSSIEC) on Wednesday.

According to the APC, the Appeal Court judgment delivered in Akure on February 10, 2025, rendered the planned local government election unnecessary and unlawful. The ruling in Appeal No. CA/AK/270/2022 reinstated elected local government officers, making the upcoming election irrelevant.

The party’s letter read:

“The implication of the Appeal Court judgment, as cited above, is that the local council seats are no longer vacant.

In view of the foregoing, we hereby state that the All Progressives Congress and all its candidates, by this letter, inform the Commission that we withdraw from the Local Government Elections scheduled for 22nd February 2025, the same having become unnecessary, superfluous, and unlawful with this development.”

The withdrawal comes as a surprise, as the APC had been actively campaigning for its candidates across the 30 local government areas of Osun before making this last-minute decision.

With the APC out of the race, the election dynamics in Osun State may shift, leaving other political parties to contest the seats without the ruling party’s involvement.