All Eyes On Osun As Gov Adeleke Swears In Newly Elected Chairmen In Osogbo…Gov Makinde Cautions APC Against Heating Up The Polity

Governor Ademola Adeleke on Sunday presided over the inauguration ceremony of newly elected local government chairmen in the state urging them to deliver on good governance in their respective local governments.

 He has also asked them to develop plans of action within the manifesto of the PDP and make themselves available as ‘agents of change, community developer and deliverer of dividends of democracy’.

The governor also expressed his gratitude to the people of the state for their steadfast support for his administration while commending them for demonstrating courage and passion to exercise their voting rights. He noted that they had done this by ‘massively supporting our party despite all the constraints’.

‘We will not fail you. Welfare of the people will continue to be our priority’ he said.

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Commending the state Independent Electoral Commission for discharging its mandate professionally and with all sense of responsibilities, he also commended security agencies and state officials who have made the election become a reality.

‘I should not end this address without acknowledging the contribution of Mr President, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu. I am most grateful to Mr President for rejecting efforts by some forces to plunge Osun into chaos. I assure Mr President of our commitment to the rule of law and the constitution for conflict resolution and governance process’ he added.

. Governor Adeleke however had a forethought, and he has advised the new chairmen and councilors to stay away from the local government secretariats ‘to avoid any clash with those who the police had aided to forcefully occupy them’.

‘An Osun State High Court had affirmed the vacancies in both the Chairmanship and Councillorship positions in Osun State Local Governments before your election on the 22nd February 2025. We will, therefore, rely on the judiciary to ensure a peaceful removal of those illegally occupying the local government secretariats.

Please be patient and always abide by the rule of law’ he said.

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The governor also used the opportunity to assert the justness of his actions and decisions.

‘We are all aware of the journey to where we are. The state is today rounding up a process that started a year or so ago. The state electoral body had issued due notice of election a year ago. I know the commission had complied with all extant rules and procedures which led to the emergence of new local government chairmen and councilors.

We are equally aware of the legal controversies that dogged the holding of the election. It is however a thing of joy that the facts are out in the public domain, and we are satisfied that we are on the side of the law within the context of rule of law and the constitution’ he added.

Those who observed the steps taken in the election process also on Sunday commended the people of Osun State for their peaceful conduct before, during, and after the election.

The election observers also noted that ‘despite reports of provocation and intimidation by some political actors and certain elements within the security agencies in the build-up to the election, the people remained resolute in their commitment to democratic principles’ adding that ‘their resilience, patience, and adherence to peaceful participation in the democratic process deserve our highest appreciations’.

The election observers in a joint statement made available to Team@@orientactualmags.com by Adewumi Olowoniyi, Campaign for Democracy, Olowu Emmanuel, Initiative for the Awareness of Civic Education of Citizens , Olusesi Ebofin, Mowalek Centre, Fedelix Nweke, African Christian Care Trust Organization, Wale Adebisi, Coalition for Democratic Initiative  and Declan Ihekiare, Chairman, Coalition of Election Observers commended the Chairman and entire staff of the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSSIEC) for their dedication and professionalism that made the smooth conduct of the election possible.

‘The meticulous planning, transparency, and logistical arrangements displayed by OSSIEC significantly contributed to the successful conduct of the election’ they submitted while condemning the role played in the election by the police.

‘The role played before and during the election by the Nigeria Police Force as observed by us shouldn’t go unmentioned. It was clear that the Police that should have been extremely neutral was seen issue advice of threats thereby dissuading some voters from coming out to exercise their franchise.

We condemn such steps taken by the police and it was clear that the Nigeria Police Force in its stance had ulterior motives to prevent the scheduled election from holding. Not enough, the Police went further to lock up the OSSIEC Head Office in order to stop the election but kudos to OSSIEC that had released various voting materials to its staff for the conduct of the election before the invasion of its office by the Nigeria Police. 

We also condemn the arbitrary arrest of some OSSIEC officials who were on legitimate duty. 

For us as observers we state that the functions of the Nigeria Police were taken too far beyond its mandates of securing lives and property’ the election observers added. 

The new local government chairmen had earlier received Certificates of Return at the headquarters of the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSIEC), Osogbo.

 While giving his speech during the presentation ceremony, Chairman of the electoral commission, Barrister Hashim Abioye, congratulated the new chairmen on their victory while urging them to be good ambassadors of democracy both in conduct and with respect to service to the people.

All eyes are currently on the State of the Living Spring as residents, citizens and other Nigerians are eagerly awaiting scenes that will be enacted at the secretariats of local governments in the state tomorrow, Monday, February 24, 2025.

What stood as the starting point for political tension in the state was the ruling delivered by the Court of Appeal, Akure on February 10, 2025.

Recall that the interpretation of the court ruling had sparked controversy.

Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSIEC), the state PDP, the state APC, and other stakeholders in the State of the Living Spring had disagreed sharply on how to interpret the ruling in question.

 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, and its connection with the local government elections that was held on Saturday.

The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice,  Mr Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, had joined the fray last week Thursday by urging the state government to support the restoration of the chairmen and councilors that were elected in 2022 to office.

Hon Odesola Oluseye Títus, who is the state Chairman of the Action Peoples Party (APP),  had however while presiding over  a press conference in Osogbo  last week Friday  accused Fagbemi of giving a biased advice  asserting that being a partaker in the last local government elections and the subsequent election cases, the leaders of the party are well-positioned to have an informed opinion on the issue.

He had added that the party would participate in the local government elections.

Recall that Osun State APC had also last week Thursday disclosed its decision not to participate in the local government elections in question.

The party did this in a letter sent to Secretary of the State Independent Electoral Commission which was dated February 17, 2025, and signed by the State Publicity Secretary, Mr. Alao Kamorudeen.

The party cited the Court of Appeal judgment of February 10 which it argued had reinstated the chairmen and councilors elected in 2022.

 A ruling that somewhat cleared the way for the conduct of the local government elections came through the Osun State High Court , Ilesa, last week Friday.

The court had ordered the State Independent Electoral Commission (OSIEC) to go ahead with the local government elections.

In an enrollment order brought before Justice A. Aderigbigbe  by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) against OSIEC and Its Chairman, Hashim Abioye, the court ruled that there was actually vacancy in the 30 local governments in the state as held by the Federal High Court.

The court ruled that the election conducted by the first defendant on October 15, 2022, had been invalidated, nullified and voided, and those who were elected have been sacked by the Federal High Court.

Local government elections were eventually held in the state on Saturday, and it had produced new executive chairmen and councilors in the state.

Recall that Osun State APC had however on Saturday evening asserted that the local government elections held earlier in the day was boycotted by the people of the state while accusing the electoral body of being ‘partisan’.

The party in a statement made available to Team@orientactualmags.com by its spokesman, Mr Kola Olabisi also disclosed that those who were elected as chairmen and councilors in 2022, will be at their respective offices tomorrow, Monday, February 24,2025.

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In separate statement on Sunday, February 23, 2025, the party restated the readiness of its members, who were elected as chairmen in 2022, to show up at their respective local governments tomorrow.

‘Our attention has been brought to fake news on social media orchestrated by a supposed democratic state government stating that the leadership of the APC in Osun State has purportedly directed their elected local government chairmen and councilors not to resume in their various local government council areas tomorrow.

We want to inform the authentic Court of Appeal-reinstated local government council chairmen and councilors that no such information came from the esteemed leadership of our party’ Osun State APC submitted in a statement made available to Team@orientactualmags.com on Sunday while asserting that the chairmen and councilors elected in 2022 are still the recognized local government officials in the eyes of the law.

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‘We want to make it abundantly clear that it is imperative for the elected APC local government chairmen and councilors not to cease from resumption at their various local government council areas in order to continue to serve the deprived people at the grassroots level.

The APC is a party founded on the rules of law which is the reason the Court of Appeal judgment given at the Akure Division, Akure, Ondo State, on the 10th of February, 2025, is the basic instrument of your reinstatement’ the party submitted while urging the state Commissioner of Police, the State Director of the DSS and the State Comptroller of the Civil Defence to be  vigilant and help to keep the peace at the secretariats of local governments in the state.

‘It is also important to appeal to the parents and guardians across the state to warn their children and wards to desist from being recruited as political thugs by disgruntled and failed politicians who are hell-bent in disturbing the peace of the state’ the party added.

In the meanwhile, the PDP Governors’ Forum) has warned Osun State APC against heating up the polity and turning the State of the Living Spring into the ‘wild wild west’.

The governors urged respect for the rule of law and warned against resorting to self-help.

Speaking on behalf of the forum in Osogbo, Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State , who was flanked by  Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, Governor Bala Muhammed of Bauchi State, urged those fomenting trouble in Osun State to remember history and learn from it, warning that Osun State should not be plunged into a crisis over a matter that can be resolved by the judiciary.

While urging the APC to steer clear of Osun State, Governor Makinde said anybody that has grievances should seek judicial redress instead of resorting to self -help.

‘My brother is delivering on his promises to the people of Osun State.

If anybody has a judgment, there is a procedure for enforcement of court decisions. It is illegal to resort to self- help’ the governor submitted.

Makinde and Bala Mohammed attended the swearing-in ceremony of the new local government chairmen in Osogbo on Sunday-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