ABUJA—GOVERNORS elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, yesterday, declared support for their Osun State counterpart, Ademola Adeleke, in his effort to restore order and protect the lives and property of citizens of the state.
The governors acting under the aegis of the Peoples Democratic Party Governors’ Forum, PDPGF, noted with deep concern the recent political violence in Osun State, which led to the loss of lives and the destruction of property.
Chairman of PDP-GF, who is also the Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, said the PDP-GF’s concern stems from the fact that Governor Adeleke had warned about the imminent breakdown of law and order and appealed to responsible authorities to act to forestall this.
Mohammed said: “The PDPGF condemns in its entirety the resort to self-help by political players whose conduct ought to have been guided by the provisions of extant laws in a democratic society.
“The Forum further notes with deep worry the resort to violence as a means of settling political and legal disputes and warns all those fanning the embers of discord to desist forthwith.
“The PDPGF commends the Governor of Osun State for the timely warning in the form of statements he issued before these political actors resorted to violence. His action is a mark of exemplary leadership.
“Thus, the PDDGF appeals to President Bola Tinubu, the Director General of DSS, the Inspector General of Police and the heads of other law enforcement agencies to move quickly and direct all law enforcement agencies to without further delay, contain the situation in Osun State, restore law and order and guarantee the preservation of lives and property before it spirals out of control.
“The PDPGF also notes that political leadership should be about patriotic sacrifice and service to the people and not about bloodbath and violent criminal conducts and thus, charges all the stakeholders in Osun State to abide by the law.
“In this regard, the PDPGF further avers that with regard to the protection of lives and property, there are no partisan divides or ideological divisions.
“Every political leader should be serving the people and working towards their safety, protection, and welfare.
“The PDPGF is desirous of seeing a full and total return of normalcy in Osun State, the restoration of law and order, and the quick identification and decisive trial of all those charged with violent disruption of the peace in Osun State.”
Vote for your chairmen, councillors peacefully, Adeleke tells residents
Governor Adeleke yesterday also called on residents of the state to go out and exercise voting rights peacefully, tasking politicians to abide by the rule of law amidst political crisis in the state.
The Governor in a statement issued by his spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed disclosed that peace has returned to the state after an illegal takeover of council secretariats by the “court-sacked APC chairmen and Councilors”.
He noted that state residents’ compliance with his stay away from council secretariats helped save the state from further crisis, which could have engulfed it in the face of confrontation.
The statement reads, “I urge all registered voters to vote in the local government election of Saturday, 22nd February 2025, and to conduct themselves peacefully at all times.
“I particularly appreciate and commend our people for complying with my directive to stay away from local government secretariats. The compliance saved our state from further confrontations and casualties. It has returned the state of the living spring to its peaceful and loving nature.”
Saturday Election’ll Hold, Despite Takeover —Osun Govt
Meanwhile, the Osun State Government, yesterday, insisted that despite the purported takeover of local government council secretariats by members of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the state, the local government council election would go on as scheduled on Saturday.
The Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi while speaking with newsmen, said the disruptive activities of the council would not affect the poll.
According to him, the action of the APC is targeted at stopping the poll but stated that no one has the capacity to stop the electoral process which started last year, saying the electoral body would complete the process and new elected council officials would be sworn-in.
Alimi said: “All of these is aimed at truncating the electoral process, but as a government, we will provide an enabling environment for the process to be completed and Saturday and we urge everyone to come out and exercise their civic rights.”
However, a chieftain of the APC, Olatunbosun Oyintiloye has urged President Tinubu to prevail on Governor Adeleke to stop the council polls to prevent crisis in the state.
He said: “I want to appeal to the president to prevail on Gov. Adeleke not to go ahead with the election for security reasons. All we want in the state is peace, and anything that can jeopardise the peaceful atmosphere should be avoided.
“Presently, there is no vacuum in all the 30 council areas in the state due to the Court of Appeal judgement that reinstated the APC chairmen and councillors.
“Gov. Adeleke must protect tenets of democracy and have a respect for the rule of law that brought him to power.”
AGF To Adeleke: You Can’t Conduct Fresh LG Polls
Meanwhile, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, has asked the Governor Ademola Adeleke, to shelve his plan to conduct Local Government elections in the state on Saturday.
The AGF, in a statement he personally signed and made available to newsmen on yesterday night, warned that going ahead with the elections would amount to a breach of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.
He stressed that the Court of Appeal had in a recent judgement, restored all elected LG officials in the state that were illegally removed from office by governor Adeleke.
It is the position of the Justice Minister that going by the decision of the appellate court, tenure of the restored officials would only expire in October.
Consequently, the AGF urged governor Adeleke to “toe the path of law in this matter and not instigate unnecessary violence in Osun State.”
He said: “My attention has been drawn to the PUBLIC OUTCRY OF Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke concerning the judgment of the Court of Appeal, Akure division delivered on 10th day of February, 2025 in Appeal No CA/AK/272/2022 which nullified and set aside the judgement of the Federal High Court, Osogbo, Osun State, delivered on 25th day of November 2022.
“It has become necessary to issue this public notice to remove doubts, fears and uncertainties created by misrepresentations and disinformation concerning the legal effect of the judgement of the Court of Appeal.”
“Putting matters in proper context, the event that led to the two judgements was that during the currency of the term of the former Governor of Osun State, Adegboyega Oyetola, the election was held into all the local governments of Osun State and winners were sworn in.
“However, a few days before the swearing-in of Governor Adeleke, the Federal High Court Osogbo delivered the judgement referred to above in which it nullified the election of the Local Government elected officials and removed them from office.
“As soon as Governor Adeleke assumed office a few days after the judgement, he issued an executive order for the physical removal of the elected officials and replaced them with caretaker appointees.
“Meanwhile, the APC that was a party in the Federal High Court case referred to above appealed against the judgement.
“The Court of Appeal eventually, on 10th day of February 2025 delivered its judgement in the appeal filed by APC against the judgement of the Federal High Court.
“The Court of Appeal not only allowed the appeal, it also held affirmatively that the suit that resulted in the judgement of the Federal High Court referred to above was incompetent and consequently made an order striking out the suit.
“Accordingly, the judgement of the Court of Appeal had by implication effectively restored the elected Local Government officials removed by the Federal High Court, back to their offices.
“According to the facts made available to my office, it was the attempt by the said elected officials to resume back in their positions that was resisted by some disgruntled elements which led to the crisis.
“His Excellency, the Governor of Osun State, Ademola Nurudeen Jackson Adeleke is no doubt aware of this scenario and ought, as a leader to have called the disgruntled elements to order in accordance with his Oath of Office to maintain law and order in Osun State.
“Notwithstanding the judgment of the Court of Appeal referenced above, which in effect means that the term of office of the elected officials has regained currency and will naturally run out in October, 2025, His Excellency has insisted that a new Local Government election shall be held on Saturday, 22nd February, 2025.
“Any such election that may be held will not only be invalid, since the term of office of the elected officials just restored by the judgement of the Court of Appeal will still be running until October 20.”
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