Group accuses AGF Fagbemi of meddling in Osun LG matters

By Deborah Oladejo, Osogbo

A socio-political organization, Osun Democrats for Democracy (ODD), has accused the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), of using his office to destabilize local government administration in Osun State.

In a statement issued and signed by its Chairman, Chief Dare Omole, on Tuesday, the group alleged that Fagbemi was behind efforts to enforce what it described as a “non-existent court judgment” aimed at reinstating APC local government chairmen in the state.

ODD claimed the minister’s actions were politically motivated, linking them to the aftermath of the Supreme Court defeat of his client, former Governor Gboyega Oyetola, in the 2022 governorship election litigation.

The statement reads: “The minister is deliberately using the powers of his office to serve partisan interests. His support for the forceful return of the sacked local government chairmen—despite a subsisting court order removing them—amounts to an open misinterpretation of the Akure Court of Appeal judgment.”

The group further alleged that the Attorney General influenced both the Federal Ministry of Finance and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to withhold statutory allocations to Osun State local governments pending the reinstatement of the sacked officials.

“At one point, the minister nearly facilitated the illegal transfer of Osun LG funds to the sacked chairmen who forcefully occupied secretariats across the state. This attempt was only halted when the CBN demanded a valid court order, which was never provided.”

ODD insisted that the Akure Appeal Court judgment did not reinstate the dismissed APC officials and challenged the Attorney General to withdraw what it described as an “erroneous legal opinion” justifying their return.

The group also called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene in the Osun local government crisis, asking: “Why is the Justice Minister violating his oath of office by acting like a political party lawyer? What offence has the Adeleke-led administration committed aside from winning a free and fair election?”