Olusegun Ariyo
Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has told the state’s traditional rulers that no court order reinstated the local government chairmen removed earlier through court rulings.
Governor Adeleke made this known during a special briefing with the Osun State Council of Traditional Rulers, chaired by the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi.
The governor’s briefing was part of his consultations with key stakeholders on the ongoing local government leadership dispute.
Commissioners for Justice and Attorney General, Jimi Wole Bada, and Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, presented four court judgments supporting the removal of the chairmen.
“Our state just survived a major threat to the democratic space. We must avoid misinformation, which is why I am here to provide all the facts about the recent local government face-off,” he said.
He explained that after defeating former Governor Adegboyega Oyetola in the July 2022 election, the previous administration hastily organised a local government election, which was later challenged by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and the Action Peoples Party, APP.
The Federal High Court ruled the elections null and void, declaring the process flawed and ordering the removal of those elected through that process.
“The sack order remains valid and has never been vacated by any court of law,” Adeleke stated.
He further clarified that an appeal against the APP judgment, filed by the All-Progressives Congress, APC, and the Allied Peoples Movement, APM, was dismissed after the appellants failed to pursue the case.
“When the appeal was struck out, the judgment sacking the chairmen stood,” he added.
On a separate case involving the PDP and APC, the Court of Appeal ruled the matter premature and struck it out without any consequential orders for reinstatement.
“The 53-page judgment contains no order for the reinstatement of the sacked chairmen,” the governor told the monarchs.
In response, the Osun APC accused Governor Adeleke of misleading the traditional rulers.
The party in a statement by its Director of Media and Information, Kola Olabisi, said Governor Adeleke is feeding the royal fathers lies to whip up unmerited sentiment.
The APC insisted the Court of Appeal’s ruling on February 10, 2025, reinstated the council chairmen and councillors.
“A lower court cannot overturn the decision of a superior court,” Olabisi stated.
The party challenged Governor Adeleke to approach the Supreme Court if he disagreed with the ruling, instead of seeking judgments from what they described as obscure state high courts.
The APC also referenced the Attorney General of the Federation’s advice against holding local government elections, arguing that there were no vacancies to fill.
Meanwhile, the Osun traditional rulers supported Governor Adeleke and pledged to convey the facts of the situation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
