A civil society organisation, The Osun Masterminds, TOM, has decried the alleged disregard of the Court of Appeal judgment and the opinion of the Attorney General and Minister of a justice, Lateef Fagbemi, by the State Government with regards to the local government administration.
The group also urged well-meaning Nigerians to prevail on the Osun government to end the needless crisis it has plunged the state into and allow the rule of law prevail.
The group made this known as part of its June State of the State address on Friday in Osogbo.
Relating TOM’s message, the Executive Director, Prof Wasiu Oyedokun-Alli which referred to the local government impasse as a matter of grave concern, added that the Osun State Government was swimming against the tide of clear Court pronouncements.
Oyedokun-Alli said, “The confusion surrounding the Local Government administration in Osun State started from the Appeal Court judgment of the 10th day of February, 2025, which was widely interpreted as reinstating the Local Government Chairmen elected under the APC in 2022. It is on record that even the Attorney-General of the Federation interpreted the judgment to mean the APC Chairmen were reinstated.
“The sad twist of events that led to killings and the abandonment of Local Government Secretariats by LG Employees, is well documented in the public domain and needs no over-beating.
“We are to point out however, that the utter disregard for, not just the Appeal Court, but also the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation, by the Osun State Government is a matter of grave concern. Where we understand that the Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, is the number one Law Officer of the Federation, we must realize that his opinions are not just official, they are also binding.
“Aside from being the number 1 Law Officer of the Federation, we also recall that the Osun State caucus of the House of Reps called on his office to help interpret the February 10 Judgment, only to turn around and reject his intervention. We wonder why the Osun State Government and its co-travellers are bent on rendering the Local Government useless if they will not have their way.
“We have studied several legal positions on this matter, especially from highly revered silks who have dissected the pronouncements of the Court and one thing remains obvious – the Osun State Government is swimming against the tide of clear Court pronouncements.”
The group demanded to know why the state government was not working with the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the state while President Bola Tinubu’s administration was working with the Ademola Adeleke Peoples Democratic Party, PDP led administration?
“The question that begs answers however, is why the Osun State Government is so unwilling to work with Local Government Chairmen elected under a different political platform. Where we respect the principles of separation of powers, should we not be willing to work together even if the political parties are not same? Has the APC-led Federal Government refused to work with the Adeleke Government because it is of the PDP?
“We call on all men and women of good conscience to prevail on the Osun State Government to end this needless crisis that it has plunged the State into and allow the rule of law prevail. We are all people of Osun State, whether of the APC or PDP, and we must co-habit in peace.
“We also call on relevant offices of the Federal Government to ensure release of Local Government funds to the legally recognized Local Government Chairmen, so that development at our grassroots is not stalled,” it concluded.
DAILY POST had reported that local government administration has been in crisis as a result of the disagreement between the Osun APC and the state government over the different interpretation to the Court of Appeal Akure Division judgment of February 10, 2025.
The crisis led to violent attacks on February 17, 2025 between supporters of both political parties which led to the death of Remi Abass, and APC stalwart in Ikire, Irewole local government area of the state.
After the local government election of February 22, 2025, the state governor, Ademola Adeleke, during the swearing-in of elected officials directed them not to report to the local government secretariats to avoid break down of law and order.
