LEWISTON, Maine – Iman Osman is set to be sworn in as a Lewiston city councilor at 6:00 P.M. on Monday 1/5/2026, but his entry into office is anything but routine. On the very night he takes the oath, the Lewiston City Council is scheduled to consider whether he is even qualified to hold the seat.
According to the City Council agenda, councilors will meet Monday evening to determine how to proceed with unresolved questions surrounding Osman’s eligibility to represent Ward 5. The discussion follows complaints reviewed in executive session and a council resolve adopted in December authorizing further action.
Agenda materials show the council plans to enter executive session under Maine law to discuss whether and how to proceed with a review of Osman’s qualifications. That resolve authorizes the city attorney to retain an independent investigator to prepare a report examining Osman’s residency from the time he submitted his nomination papers through the date he was sworn in.
The council’s own documents lay out the options on the table: take no action, move directly to a hearing under the city charter, or await the findings of an independent investigation before deciding whether a hearing is warranted.
Under Section 2.08 of the Lewiston City Charter, the City Council has explicit authority to judge the qualifications of its members and determine whether grounds exist for forfeiture of office. The agenda confirms that the council has already reviewed complaints related to Osman’s residency during executive session.
A follow-up agenda item notes that the resolve was placed on the agenda by Councilor Chittim as a continuation of the City Council’s December vote and prior executive session discussions.
The controversy intensified this week. On Tuesday, Homeland Security agents were at 210 Blake Street and posted photographs of the property on social media. Osman has listed that address as his residence, but the building was condemned following a federal raid in July 2024.
Later that same day, when this reporter approached Osman in the parking lot of MEIRS at 256 Bartlett Street, he drove away rapidly.
Osman’s problems extend well beyond City Hall. On Wednesday morning, he is scheduled to appear in court at 8:30 a.m. after being indicted on stolen gun charges.
The City Council is expected to receive the independent investigator’s report at a future meeting, at which point councilors will decide whether to move forward with a formal hearing under the city charter.
As Lewiston begins 2026, Osman’s tenure is already defined by legal trouble, unanswered residency questions, and a City Council review that could determine whether he is allowed to remain in office at all.
