Osun: Adeleke alerts FG, global community over alleged plot by Minister

By Deborah Oladejo, Osogbo

Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has alerted the Federal Government, national, and global audiences about an alleged deliberate plot by the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Mr. Gboyega Oyetola, to create chaos and anarchy in the state.

Adeleke alleged that the former governor of the state has instructed the State Commissioner of Police, the State Director of the DSS, and the State Commandant of the Civil Defence Corps to mobilize security operatives from within Osun to enforce a non-existent judgment by forcefully taking over the local governments on Monday.

Addressing a press conference at the Government House on Sunday, the governor warned that his government would not allow any takeover of local governments except through a judicial pronouncement or a democratic process.

He called on President Bola Tinubu to insist on the rule of law by instructing the Inspector General of Police, the Director General of DSS, and the Commandant General of the Civil Defence Corps not to obey an illegal order from his nephew, Oyetola.

He also requested that the president verify the facts of the case through the National Security Adviser and the Attorney General of the Federation, specifically the fact that the Court of Appeal judgment did not reinstate the sacked local government chairmen and councilors.

His words: “Let me affirm that I know Mr. President to be a true democrat, a lover of the 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 bloodshed.

“I 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 is issuing illegal directives to security operatives to enforce illegality simply because he is the nephew of Mr. President. I chose to alert the nation before my people are killed or maimed by a minister dropping the name of Mr. President in connivance with the Osun State security operatives obeying unlawful orders.

“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.

“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’s Democratic Party (PDP), which sacked the product of the 2022 polls. The second judgment was on the suit filed by the Action Peoples Party (APP), which also sacked the chairmen and councillors produced by the said 2022 Osun Local Government polls.

“The APC appeal against the judgment obtained by the PDP was partially successful, and the judgment was struck out based on the timing of filing, having been filed before the notice of election was published.

“The judgment of the Court of Appeal on the PDP case was not ambiguous whatsoever. It simply struck out the PDP suit and did not, in any of its paragraphs, order the reinstatement of the sacked council chairmen and councillors.

“It is very clear that no consequential order was made because the APP case is still subsisting. As I stated earlier, the Court of Appeal said that the request for the reinstatement of the chairmen and councillors has become an academic exercise.

“We have it on good authority that Mr. Gboyega Oyetola has instructed the Osun State Commissioner of Police, the State Director of the DSS, and the State Commandant of the Civil Defence Corps to mobilize security operatives from within Osun to enforce the non-existent judgment by forcefully taking over the local governments on Monday.

“I want to state that the current nefarious activities of Mr. Oyetola and the heads of Osun’s security agencies constitute grave incitement. These need to stop because we are neither interested in resorting to self-help nor in supporting violence to resolve political matters. As much as we are law-abiding people, we are fierce protectors of our rights, day and night.

“I want to place on notice the Nigerian public, our friends in the diplomatic community, and the lovers of democracy and the rule of law that our people will not accept any attempt to impose illegality and anarchy on us. We vehemently reject any ploy to deploy a non-existing court order to achieve local political power.

“I therefore appeal to 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, and the Commandant General of the Civil Defence Corps not to obey an illegal order from his nephew, Mr. Gboyega Oyetola. The Osun State security chiefs should also be called to order.”