Gov Adeleke raises alarm, says Oyetola plotting to cause mayhem in Osun State

…Respect Appeal Court ruling on tenure of LGA chairmen instead of resorting to cheap blackmail —Oyetola
. As NLC orders workers to stay away from work effective today on safety concerns

TUNDE ADELEKE, Osogbo

The Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke has urged President Bola Tinubu to prevail on the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, before he triggers crises in Osun State.

Daily Champion reports the Osun Govt and the All Progressive Congress in the state has differed over the Apeal Court judgment over sacked Local Government chairmen.

Speaking at a press conference held in Osogbo on Sunday, Adeleke accused Oyetola of conspiring with security chiefs in the state to effect a non-existing judgement by forcefully taking over the local government by reinstating sacked local government chairmen.

According to him, “We will not allow any takeover of the local government except through a judicial pronouncement or a democratic process. We vehemently reject any ploy to deploy a non-existing court order to achieve local political power.

“I therefore 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, the Commandant General of the Civil Defense Corps not to obey an illegal order from his nephew, Mr Gboyega Oyetola. The Osun State security chiefs should also be called to order.

“I call on Mr President, to instruct the National Security Adviser, and the Attorney General of the Federation, to personally verify the fact that the Court of Appeal judgement did not reinstate the sacked local government chairmen and councilors and the fact that, there is a subsisting judgement of Court that sacked the Chairmen and Councillors produced by the 2022 local government polls.

“The Nigerian public should hold Mr Gboyega Oyetola and the Osun state security chiefs responsible for any breakdown of law and order in the state tomorrow, Monday, and beyond.”

Reacting to the allegation, the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, has dismissed the allegation that he was plotting to destabilize Osun State, saying his track records of public service in the last 15 years does not support the claim by Governor Ademola Adeleke.

Oyetola in a statement made available to newsmen by the Media Office of the minister, on Sunday, stressed that he’ll never be party to any breakdown of law and order.

The statement reads in part, “for the four years he governed Osun, he gave a good account of himself as a man of peace, a respecter of rule of law and one not given to violence. If he is given to violence, he would certainly have fought back violently in 2022 when he was brazenly rigged out.

“Again, in 2022, when Governor Ademola Adeleke employed extra-judicial means to sack democratically elected council officials, Oyetola as the leader of party, never preached violence. Instead, he led the party members to court.

“Thankfully, his party won at the Appeal last week. And as peace-loving leader, he appealed to security agencies to enforce the judgement of the court. How can such a man be accused of a destabilisation plot. I think anyone accusing Oyetola of violence needs to have his/her head properly examined.

“The minister, is further seizing this opportunity to appeal to his successor to respect the Appeal Court judgement, rather than resort to cheap blackmail, which has no place in law.”

Similarly, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), has directed members working in the state Local Government to withdraw their services from the state, citing security and safety of members.

The NLC chairman in the State, Christopher Arapasopo, in a statement on Sunday said, “we have noticed the political uproar bringing agitations and fear among our members working within the Local Government Areas across the state. The NLC is apolitical, but we won’t allow our members to work in an atmosphere of insecurity.

“We urge all the political parties and their members to abide by the rule of law. We insist on the rule of law to avoid a descent to anarchy. In furtherance to this, we hereby direct all our

members working in all the GAs in Osun State to withdraw their services effective Monday, 17th February, 2025 by 12am (midnight).

“We won’t allow our members to return until their safety at work can be assured and guaranteed, which is their constitutional right.”

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