By Michael Ofulue, Osogbo

|

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State has alerted the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun; the Director of State Security Services; and the National Security Adviser about what it described as a fresh plot by Governor Ademola Adeleke to cause mayhem in the state.

The party alleged that the state government is planning to procure a judgment from the State High Court in Ikirun that will serve as a platform to launch another round of massive attacks on local government chairmen and councillors elected on the APC platform, who are currently in charge of the council secretariats. This, the party said, could plunge the state into another round of anarchy.

Addressing a press conference at the Ilerioluwa Campaign Office, Ogo-Oluwa, Osogbo on Sunday, the APC, through a former state Commissioner for Information, Hon. Sunday Akere, revealed that the state government has concluded arrangements to procure a ‘kangaroo judgment’ from a court to be presided over by Justice I.O. Adeleke of Ikirun on April 17, 2025.

The aim, according to the APC, is to pervert the course of justice and smuggle in the PDP-selected chairmen and hoodlums into the councils through the backdoor.

The party claimed to have reliably gathered that it is this purchased order of mandamus from the High Court judge in Ikirun that the governor is relying on to install the allegedly illegal PDP chairmen in the councils, aided by Amotekun Corps and political thugs, without considering the implications for security and public order.

The APC reaffirmed its commitment to resist any illegal actions capable of causing political unrest and undermining the judiciary in the state, stating: “Adeleke’s executive recklessness, security compromise, abuse of power, and assault on judicial integrity will be resisted without apology.”

The party further accused Adeleke’s government of grounding local government activities by allegedly inducing the leadership of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) to unlawfully withdraw the services of local government workers in the state.

As a result, grassroots residents have been denied essential services from all 30 local government areas and the Area Office for the past two months.

According to the APC, the planned order of mandamus filed against Governor Adeleke is intended to prevent the governor from locking out the sit-at-home PDP chairmen and councillors, who, with the support of Amotekun and thugs, plan to invade the councils — an action the APC warns could lead to a breakdown of law and order.

“It is on that April, 17, 2025, procured kangaroo ruling that the council workers who have abandoned their jobs for over two months intend to return to work,” the APC said.

“The judgment is, among others, to violently remove our reinstated local government chairmen from office, in defiance of the judgment of the Appeal Court, by using Amotekun Corps and violent thugs to chase them out of the local government secretariats across the state.

“The procured judgment from the pliable High Court judge in Ikirun will also direct the chairmen and councillors who participated in the illegal local government election purportedly conducted by the partisan Abioye Hashim-led Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSSIEC) on February 22, 2025, to resume work — with the primary aim of unleashing terror on our elected chairmen and councillors,” the party added.

The APC also revealed that another case is before Justice Yinka Aderibigbe of a State High Court sitting in Ilesa, allegedly aimed at creating similar unrest in the state.

“Information also has it that there are plans to massively mobilise thugs within and outside the state, arm them, and clothe them in Amotekun Corps uniforms in order to carry out orchestrated attacks on our chairmen and burn down local government secretariats — deceitfully placing the blame on the Appeal Court-reinstated local government officials.”

The party called on the Osun State Judiciary to be cautious of the PDP’s desperation and avoid being dragged into disrepute through the procurement of “black market” judgments and injunctions capable of disturbing the peace in the state.

“It is a basic legal principle that a lower court cannot assume jurisdiction on a matter already settled by a higher court — especially the Court of Appeal, in this case,” the APC said.

“This attempt is designed to create a constitutional crisis and throw the state into avoidable chaos. If the PDP and Governor Adeleke consider the Appeal Court’s judgment unacceptable, they are free to approach the Supreme Court as the final arbiter — instead of laying a foundation for crisis.”

According to the APC, the governor’s strategy is to orchestrate a “judicial coup” by procuring a mandamus order in favour of the allegedly illegal council chairmen and councillors from the High Court judge in Ikirun on April 17, 2025.

“Under the arrangement made by Governor Adeleke and his allies, the council workers — who have been staying away from their jobs — would accompany the illegally-elected chairmen and councillors to the council secretariats, thereby igniting pandemonium and chaos across the state.”

The APC said it previously petitioned the National Judicial Council (NJC) over what it called “judicial rascality” being encouraged by the Adeleke administration and warned that it would not hesitate to file another petition if any further abuse or compromise of the judiciary is noticed.

“The judiciary is the last hope of the common man, and if it is consistently abused — as is currently being encouraged by the Osun State government under Governor Adeleke — then our democracy is in serious danger,” the Osun APC declared.

In response, Governor Adeleke’s spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, dismissed the APC’s allegations, urging the party to face its case in court. He said the “YES and NO” council chairmen and councillors remain sacked and that Governor Adeleke is too busy to respond to the opposition’s “fabricated lies.”

He added that the governor is working tirelessly to place the state on the right footing to meet the yearnings and aspirations of its people.