Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Adewale Egbedun, has reaffirmed that all elected local government council officers in Osun State will serve a fixed tenure of three years, in accordance with Osun State Law No. 7 of 2024.
He stated that this aligns with the provisions of Section 6 of the Osun State Local Government Areas (Creation and Administration) Amendment (No. 7) Law 2024, with the tenure commencing from the day the officials take the oath of office.
In a statement he personally signed, the Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly urged the public to disregard misleading claims being circulated by uninformed individuals and politically motivated groups.
“Let it be clearly understood that, in line with the provisions of Section 6 of the Osun State Local Government Areas (Creation and Administration) Amendment (No. 7) Law 2024, the tenure of elected local government officials in Osun State is three years, starting from the day they take the oath of office,” Egbedun emphasised.
He explained that while the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) and the Electoral Act 2022 provide the broad national framework for local government administration in Nigeria, the power to determine the tenure, structure, and functions of local councils resides exclusively with state governments through laws passed by their respective Houses of Assembly.
The Speaker further pointed out that Section 7 of the Constitution delegates legislative authority over local government matters—including tenure arrangements—to the states. Section 3(6) identifies 768 constitutionally recognised local government areas across Nigeria’s 36 states, excluding the six Area Councils of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), which are governed separately under the Electoral Act.
“The tenure of local government officials in the FCT is set by the Electoral Act. But for all other states, including Osun State, it is the state law that determines the duration of service for elected council officers,” Egbedun clarified.
He advised Osun residents, political stakeholders, and the media not to fall for politically motivated misinterpretations aimed at discrediting the legitimacy of ongoing local governance in the state.
“We urge the public to seek clarifications directly from the Osun State House of Assembly whenever in doubt about the structure or operations of local government in Osun State,” the statement concluded.
