NBA warns Adeleke of possible emergency rule as Osun judiciary shutdown lingers

By Deborah Oladejo, Osogbo –

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) in Osun State has warned Governor Ademola Adeleke that the prolonged paralysis of the judiciary could be seen as the state’s inability to maintain law and order through its judicial institutions, a situation that may attract federal government attention and, in extreme cases, justify a state of emergency.

The warning was contained in a petition signed by the forum of NBA Osun State through the chairmen of five branches: Barrister Maruf Adediran (Osogbo), Barrister Niyi Akinsola (Ikirun), Barrister F.O. Ajani (Iwo), Barrister Ayodele Olawoye (Ife), and Barrister Ramond Oki (Ilesa). The petition was addressed to Governor Adeleke, the speaker of the Osun Assembly, the chief judge, and other relevant officials.

The NBA noted that the JUSUN strike, which began on September 22, 2025, has crippled the judicial arm of government in the state. Courts remain locked, litigants are stranded, commercial transactions are suspended, and the administration of criminal and civil justice has come to a halt.

Despite several engagements with JUSUN leaders, the chief judge, and the attorney-general, no progress has been achieved, the Bar said, because certain members of the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) appointed by the governor have allegedly refused to attend meetings convened to address the union’s grievances.

The NBA warned that if the situation continues unchecked, it poses grave constitutional, economic, and security risks to the state.

“A non-functional judiciary is not only a direct assault on the rule of law, it also places Osun State in a precarious constitutional position,” the association said. “It erodes public confidence in government, weakens democratic institutions, emboldens criminality, jeopardizes human rights, and threatens the peace and security of the state.”

The Bar added that the judiciary is the pillar upon which justice, order, and good governance stand, and when it is shut down, the state becomes vulnerable to various dangers from within and outside.

The NBA called on the governor to intervene decisively by directing JUSUN to suspend the strike and resume work within seven days, assuring the union that their demands would be addressed through a structured, time-bound process jointly supervised by the JSC and the Bar.