Governor Adeleke has asked President Tinubu to caution Oyetola over alleged illegal actions in Osun’s local councils. The APC denies the accusations, defending Oyetola’s actions as legal.
Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has called on President Bola Tinubu to caution the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Gboyega Oyetola, over an alleged attempt to stir up unrest in the state.
In a press briefing on Sunday, Adeleke accused his predecessor of instructing the police and the Department of State Services (DSS) to implement a “non-existent judgment” by forcibly taking control of the local government councils on Monday.
Adeleke explained, “The issue at hand is the audacity of attempting to reinstate council chairmen who were dismissed under a valid court judgment, by using a different court decision that lacks a consequential order.”
He clarified, “The chairmen were removed before I assumed office as governor, contrary to the false claims that they were dismissed by my Executive Order. I had no involvement in their removal. The chairmen and councillors were dismissed through two separate Federal High Court rulings in Osogbo.”
Adeleke emphasized that in a democratic system, the rule of law must prevail, and if there is dissatisfaction with a court’s decision, it should be appealed through proper legal channels, ending at the Supreme Court.
The governor urged Tinubu to ensure that police and DSS authorities do not follow what he described as an “illegal order” from Oyetola, who he referred to as his nephew, and called for Osun’s security chiefs to be held accountable.
Adeleke further appealed to the President, the National Security Adviser, and the Attorney General of the Federation to verify that the Court of Appeal’s judgment did not reinstate the dismissed local government officials, reaffirming that a valid court ruling still stands.
APC’s Response
In response, the state chapter of Oyetola’s party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), dismissed Adeleke’s accusations, suggesting they were an attempt to avoid following legal procedures. The APC advised the governor to seek redress in the Supreme Court if dissatisfied with the Court of Appeal’s ruling.
Kola Olabisi, APC spokesperson, rejected the allegation that Oyetola had given any illegal directives to security agencies, accusing Adeleke of resorting to blackmail instead of pursuing legal avenues.
“Oyetola has not given any instructions to anyone, including the security forces, regarding their duties. Adeleke should understand that blackmail and sentiments won’t alter the court’s decision,” Olabisi stated.
He argued that the APC-led local government officials, who were removed in 2022, had been reinstated lawfully through the courts, and that justice had now been served.
“The court has spoken. Those who were unjustly removed in 2022 have now been rightfully reinstated. As the leader of the Osun APC, Oyetola is committed to ensuring that the ruling is enforced,” Olabisi said.
He concluded by affirming that the APC would remain law-abiding but would ensure that the court’s decision is upheld.
“The court’s verdict must be respected, and Adeleke’s attempts at blackmail won’t succeed. We will remain law-abiding, but we will also defend our rights,” Olabisi added.
