Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State has accused former Governor and current Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Gboyega Oyetola, of orchestrating a plan to incite unrest in the state. In a press conference held on Sunday, Adeleke alleged that Oyetola, in collaboration with state security officials, intends to enforce a non-existent court judgment to reinstate sacked local government chairpersons.
“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,” Adeleke stated. He further claimed that Oyetola is “issuing illegal directives to security operatives to enforce illegality simply because he is the nephew of Mr. President.”
The controversy centers around the removal of local government chairpersons elected during the 2022 polls. Adeleke clarified that their dismissal was based on two Federal High Court judgments prior to his tenure, not by his executive order. He emphasized that the Court of Appeal’s recent ruling did not include any consequential orders reinstating the sacked officials. “The judgment contains no consequential orders,” Adeleke noted.
Adeleke called on President Bola Tinubu to intervene, urging him to instruct national security agencies to disregard Oyetola’s alleged illegal directives. He also appealed to the public and international community to hold Oyetola and state security chiefs accountable for any potential breakdown of law and order in Osun State.
As tensions rise, stakeholders, including the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSSIEC), have presented differing interpretations of the appellate court’s ruling. OSSIEC has indicated plans to proceed with local government elections as scheduled, despite the ongoing disputes.
The situation remains fluid, with both political and legal ramifications unfolding in the coming days.
