…Osun APC accuses Gov. Adeleke of plotting judicial manipulation, inciting violence
…No room for violence, just rule of law — Gov. Adeleke
By Ismail Azeez, Osogbo
The local government councils in Osun State remain inactive as political rivalry between the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State and the administration of Governor Ademola Adeleke has escalated, with both sides accusing each other of undermining local government control.
APC accused Governor Ademola Adeleke’s administration of attempting to undermine the local government councils by procuring a court ruling that would facilitate the return of illegally selected council chairmen and councillors.
According to the APC, the ruling would be delivered by a court in Ikirun on April 17, 2025, and could set the stage for violent confrontations at local government council secretariats, especially with the alleged involvement of Amotekun Corps and hired thugs to enforce the ruling.
Speaking at a press briefing in Osogbo on Sunday, former state Commissioner for Information, Hon. Sunday Akere, revealed that the state government has concluded arrangements to secure what he referred to as a “kangaroo judgment” from the State High Court.
The APC claims this would enable the PDP-backed chairmen, who were allegedly illegally selected in a controversial election orchestrated by the state electoral body, to forcibly take control of the local government offices, potentially leading to chaos and instability across the state.
The party further alleged that the judgment would serve to reverse the rulings of the Appeal Court, which had previously reinstated elected APC local government chairmen and councillors. According to the party, the planned order of mandamus would allow for the violent eviction of the reinstated council officials, replacing them with the PDP-backed chairmen and councillors, who would allegedly use force to reassert control over the council secretariats.
The APC strongly condemned this alleged move, asserting that it would be a flagrant abuse of judicial authority. In a statement, the party warned that this would not only threaten the peace of the state but also endanger the safety of the council officials, as well as the security of lives and property in the region. The APC also claimed that there were plans to mobilise thugs disguised in Amotekun Corps uniforms to intimidate and attack their officials, and destroy council properties, all in the name of executing the unlawful court order.
“The planned judgment from the Ikirun High Court is set to pave the way for widespread violence, as we believe it will lead to the deployment of Amotekun Corps alongside thugs to invade council secretariats and forcibly remove our elected officials,” the APC said.
“We are also aware that similar plans are underway at the Ilesa High Court, with the same goal of creating confusion and disorder across the state.”
The APC has called for urgent intervention from national security agencies, including the Inspector General of Police, the Department of State Services (DSS), and the Office of the National Security Adviser, urging them to prevent the looming crisis.
They have also appealed to the Osun State judiciary to reject any attempts to undermine its integrity by allowing politically motivated court rulings that could destabilise the region.
“The judiciary should not be used as a tool for political manipulation,” the APC stated. “We will not sit idly by while the Osun State government, under Governor Adeleke’s leadership, seeks to pervert justice and undermine democracy.”
The APC also mentioned its previous complaints to the National Judicial Council (NJC) regarding similar instances of judicial manipulation and warned that they would not hesitate to take further action if such tactics were repeated.
The party stressed that the ongoing political unrest, fueled by the activities of the state government, was a serious threat to both the rule of law and the peace of the people of Osun State.
In response to the accusations, the spokesperson for the State Governor, Olawale Rasheed, claimed that the Osun APC is simply trying to deflect attention from its unlawful control of local government offices, resorting instead to blatant attempts to blackmail the judiciary.
Rasheed said, “The state APC is making false claims about a well-known situation that has led to three separate lawsuits concerning its illegal occupation of local government secretariats. The first case was filed by the duly elected local government chairmen and councillors from the PDP under ALGON.
“The second lawsuit comes from the state’s local government workers represented by NULGE, and the third is from the All Peoples Party (APP), which has sued the APC for contempt of court for disregarding an existing court ruling that dismissed its Yes/No chairmen.”
He continued, “Governor Ademola Adeleke has not, and does not intend to, initiate any legal proceedings. After giving a directive to the PDP-elected chairmen and councillors to follow the rule of law and avoid violence, he has made it clear that the state government is not seeking any further legal action.”
Rasheed further dismissed the APC’s claims of a plot to use violence against the court-dismissed Yes/No chairmen as pure fantasy, accusing the APC of attempting to evade the legal consequences of its unconstitutional and unlawful hold on local government offices in Osun.
“It should be recalled that the key parties involved in this dispute have taken legal steps to remove the usurpers and anti-democratic elements from the local government offices.
“The legitimate council officials, including chairmen, vice chairmen, and councillors, have filed substantial lawsuits to remove the illegally appointed Yes/No chairmen, who are acting outside the law,” Rasheed added.
The spokesperson also noted that the local government workers’ union, NULGE, as a concerned party, has turned to the judiciary for redress in the matter.
Rasheed concluded by calling on the state APC to focus on its ongoing legal challenges and to cease involving the governor in its self-inflicted moral, legal, and political difficulties.