2022 LG Polls: ‘Stand-Off’ Continues As Gov Adeleke Accuses Oyetola Of Creating Tension …Court Order ‘Sacrosanct’-APC…Stay Away From LG Secretariats, Osun NLC Tells LG Workers

Following the simmering tension in Osun State, the state chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on Sunday directed members, who are local government workers, to stay away from local government secretariats across the state.

The local government workers are to do this from today, Monday, February 17, 2025, until their safety can be guaranteed.

The state NLC in a statement issued by its chairman, Dr Christopher Arapasopo, expressed concerns about the safety of members who are local government workers submitting that the union remains apolitical but will not however allow its members to work in an unsafe environment.

‘The NLC is apolitical, but we will not allow our members to work in an atmosphere of insecurity.

The Nigeria Labour Congress has observed the ongoing political unrest, which has caused agitation and fear among our members working in local governments in the state.

We urge all the political parties and their supporters to abide by the rule of law to prevent a descent into anarchy. In the light of this, we hereby direct all our members working in Osun State local government offices to withdraw their services effective Monday, February 17, 2025, from 12:00 am. (midnight).

Our members will not return to work until their safety is assured and guaranteed, as is their constitutional right.

We call on all security agencies to ensure the safety of lives and property in local governments and the state in general’ the statement added.

Recall that Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSIEC), the state PDP, the state APC, and other stakeholders had disagreed sharply on how to interpret the ruling that was delivered by judges of the Court of Appeal, Akure Division last week Monday and a tense situation that had subsequently surfaced still subsists.

 The court ruling was on the outcome of the local government elections conducted by the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSIEC) on October 15, 2022.

Recall that Justice Ayo-Nathaniel Emmanuel of the Federal High Court , Osogbo,  had on November 26, 2022, declared the local government elections in question illegal, null and void, adding that it was not conducted in accordance with the Electoral Act of 2022.

The sacked LG chairmen had however filed an appeal and the ruling was delivered last week Monday while its interpretation had since become a hotly debated topic and a subject of discussion among residents of the state.

OSIEC plans to conduct Local government elections in the state on February 22,2025.

Osun State APC Legal Adviser, Barrister Adegoke Ogunsola had argued that the planned Local Government Elections can no longer be held in view of the ruling delivered by the Court of Appeal.

Ogunsola urged the OSIEC Chairman, Barrister Hashim Abioye to refrain from any act capable of undermining the integrity and sanctity of the judiciary.

Chairman of Osun State PDP, Chief Sunday Bisi however urged the people of  the state to stay calm while denouncing  insinuations by the main opposition party that ‘the appellate Court has stopped the conduct of the February 22, 2025 local government elections’ .

Giving its take on the issue, the state APC urged the ruling party to respect the rule of law, fairness and justice by ‘holistically observing every letter of the Court of Appeal judgment and other dictates of the laws’.

Chairman of Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSSIEC), Barrister Abioye Hashim, who is at the center of the issue, also presided over a press conference at the commission’s headquarters in Osogbo last week Monday during which he explained that the ruling delivered by the Court of Appeal has not in any way affected the local government elections scheduled to hold on February 22, 2025.

The stand-off over the control of local governments in the state sequel to the Court of Appeal ruling continued on Sunday, February 16, 2025, with Governor Ademola Adeleke condemning ‘in strongest terms’ what he called ‘deliberate plot to create chaos and anarchy in the state’ and he has pointed the finger at his immediate predecessor, Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Mr. Gboyega Oyetola.

That was not all, he added that the minister is doing this with the support of the state Commissioner of Police, the state Director of DSS and the state Commandant of the Civil Defense Corps.

The governor, who said this during the press conference he presided over in Osogbo, however absolved President Bola Tinubu from blame.

‘Before I continue this address, let me affirm that I know Mr. President to be a true democrat, a lover of rule of law, and a believer in the sanctity of the judicial process. I know, as a matter of fact, that Mr. President will never authorize a dictatorial violation of the constitution irrespective of who is involved. It is crucial to add that Mr. President will never support any action that is capable of generating bloodbath and bloodshed.

I, however, regret to inform Mr. President and the public that Mr Gboyega Oyetola has concluded an arrangement to cause mayhem in Osun State starting from Monday’ he said.

The governor also talked about the crux of the matter and explained his role.

‘The bone of contention is the brazen effrontery to return to office council chairmen sacked  by a subsisting court Judgment using a different court decision, which has no consequential order.

Let me make it clear that the said Council Chairmen were sacked before I was sworn in as governor of Osun State, contrary to the lies being peddled, that the Chairmen and councilors were sacked through my Executive Order. 

For emphasis, l want to state that I had nothing to do with the sacking of the chairmen and councilors produced by the Osun 2022 local government polls. The Chairmen and Councilors were sacked by two different judgments of the Federal High Court, Osogbo.

The script Mr Oyetola is playing is about the most reprehensible abuse of power in this fourth republic capable of untold and unforeseen consequences on the polity. 

The general public is aware that there were two different Federal  High Court judgments on the local government election of 2022. The first judgment was on the suit filed by the People Democratic Party (PDP) which sacked the product of the  2022 polls. The second judgment was on the suit filed by the Action People Party (APP), which also sacked the Chairmen and Councillors produced by the said 2022 Osun Local Government polls’ he submitted.

While alleging that the Blue Economy Minister has instructed the state Commissioner of Police,  the state Director of the DSS and the state Commandant of civil defence corps to mobilize security agents ‘to put into effect the nonexistent judgment by forcefully taking over the local governments on Monday’, the governor also alleged that Oyetola and the police boss have been holding a series of meetings on how to carry out the illegal operations.

Governor Adeleke urged ‘Mr President, who is a renowned democrat’, to insist on the rule of law by instructing the Inspector General of Police, the Director General of DSS, the Commandant General of the Civil Defense Corps not to obey an illegal order.

‘I call on Mr President, to instruct the National Security Adviser, and the Attorney General of the Federation, to personally verify the fact that the Court of Appeal judgment did not reinstate the sacked local government chairmen and councilors and the fact that, there is a subsisting Court  ruling that sacked the Chairmen and the Councilors  produced by the 2022 local government polls. 

The Nigerian public should hold Mr Gboyega Oyetola and the Osun State security chiefs responsible for any breakdown of law and order in the state tomorrow, Monday, and beyond’ the governor said.

The state APC has however urged Governor Adeleke to obey the ruling delivered by the judges of Court of Appeal while expressing displeasure over ‘the unruly conduct of the government officials since the court ruling’.

The APC State Chairman, Alhaji Tajudeen Lawal, who presided over the press conference held at the Ilerioluwa Campaign Office, Osogbo, warned Governor Adeleke and his appointees to refrain from any act capable of causing sociopolitical unrest and setting the state on fire as the Appeal Court’s judgment was ‘clear, direct and straightforward’. 

‘Rather than stoking crisis in the state, the most honourable thing for Governor Ademola Adeleke to do is to comply with the court order and give protection to the reinstated council Chairmen and Councilors.

This is not the time to whip up sentiments and seek undue public sympathy as the matter is constitutional and unassailable. Laws are not built on sentiment but rather fact.

As a responsible party, we have been civil and law abiding that is why we have been seeking every legal means to ensure that the law takes its due course’ Lawal said.

The Legal Adviser of the state APC, Barrister Adegoke Ogunsola accused the governor of raising unfounded allegations against the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Alhaji Isiaka Adegboyega Oyetola and the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu .

A former Deputy Governor of the state, Mr Benedict Alabi, former Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Prince Adebayo Adeleke ‘Banik’ and Oyetola’s  former Special Adviser, Hon. Jamiu Olawumi in their separate speeches also urged Governor Adeleke to toe the path of honour by obeying the rule of law–Team@orientactualmags.com  Do you have any information you wish to share with us? Do you want us to cover your event or programme? Kindly send SMS to 08059100286, 09094171980 or get in touch via orientactualmag@gmail.com.  Thank you