Kehinde Fajobi
Osun State Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke, has accused the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Gboyega Oyetola, of orchestrating a plan to incite chaos in the state by enforcing a non-existent court judgment to reinstate sacked local government chairmen.
At a press conference on Sunday, February 16, Adeleke alleged that Oyetola, with the backing of top security officials, including the Osun State Commissioner of Police, the Director of the Department of State Services (DSS), and the Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), was attempting to impose illegality on the state.
“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.
“He is issuing illegal directives to security operatives to enforce illegality simply because he is the nephew of Mr. President,” Adeleke said.
He explained that the local government officials in question were removed by two separate Federal High Court judgments in Osogbo before he assumed office, contrary to claims that they were sacked by his administration.
“The chairmen and councillors were sacked by two different judgments of the Federal High Court Osogbo. The script Mr. Oyetola is playing is about the most reprehensible abuse of power in this Fourth Republic, capable of untold and unforeseen consequences on the polity,” he added.
According to Adeleke, while a Court of Appeal ruling struck out the case filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) due to a technicality, it did not reinstate the removed officials, making any attempt to return them to office unlawful.
He also noted that another appeal against the Action Peoples Party (APP) judgment that sacked the officials was unsuccessful, making that ruling still valid.
“We call on legal luminaries and the Nigerian Bar Association to fact-check our claims by reading and interpreting the judgments.
“Even a layman can comprehend the meaning except those with an agenda to destroy the peace and progress of Osun State,” he said.
Adeleke warned that Oyetola had no constitutional authority to direct security agencies and accused security chiefs of colluding with the minister.
“We have it on good authority that Mr. Oyetola has instructed the Osun State Commissioner of Police, the state Director of the DSS, and the state Commandant of the Civil Defence Corps to mobilise security operatives to effect the nonexistent judgment by forcefully taking over the local governments on Monday,” he alleged.
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The governor called on President Bola Tinubu to intervene, urging him to instruct federal security agencies to disregard any unlawful directives from Oyetola.
“I appeal to Mr. President, who is a renowned democrat, to insist on the rule of law by instructing the Inspector General of Police, the Director General of DSS, and the Commandant General of the Civil Defence Corps not to obey an illegal order from his nephew, Mr. Gboyega Oyetola,” he stated.
Adeleke urged the public and the international community to be vigilant and hold Oyetola and security officials responsible for any breakdown of law and order in the state.
“As much as we will do our best to maintain peace, we call on men and women of goodwill to intervene before it is too late,” he concluded.