The Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress has accused Governor Ademola Adeleke of engaging in “executive rascality” to undermine a Court of Appeal judgment that reinstated its local government chairmen and councillors.
At a press conference on Sunday, at the Ileri-Oluwa Campaign Office in Osogbo, former Commissioner for Information, Sunday Akere, alleged that the state government was using non-state actors and manipulated judicial processes to prevent the implementation of the ruling.
He stated, “The last two months in the state have been characterised by executive recklessness and judicial abuse to undermine the Court of Appeal judgement delivered on 10 February.”
Akere further claimed that Governor Adeleke instigated violence following a February 16, 2025, address in which he reportedly declared he could not guarantee the safety of the reinstated APC chairmen. This, according to Akere, led to attacks that resulted in the deaths of seven individuals, including Remi Abbas.
The APC also accused the state government of financially influencing the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) to withdraw services across council secretariats, disrupting essential services in all 30 councils and the Modakeke Area Office.
“The Adeleke administration has turned its back on the rule of law, resorting instead to coercion and manipulation,” Akere said.
Additionally, the APC alleged that the government had vandalised primary health facilities by removing commissioning plaques installed by the previous administration and replacing them with new ones bearing Adeleke’s name.
The party also raised concerns about a plan to obtain a mandamus order from the Osun State High Court in Ikirun on April 17, 2025, to assist “illegally-selected PDP chairmen” in forcefully reclaiming council secretariats. Akere warned that the government might use thugs disguised as Amotekun Corps members to carry out these attacks under the guise of enforcing a court order.
“This planned attack will be used to forcibly eject our chairmen, despite a binding ruling of the Court of Appeal,” he said, adding that a similar legal challenge in Ilesa seemed designed to legitimize the PDP’s claim to the local governments through “kangaroo judgments.”
The APC accused the judiciary of bias and called for action from the National Judicial Council, citing what it described as “judicial rascality.” It further warned that issuing black-market injunctions could destabilize the state.
“It is a basic legal principle that a lower court cannot override a higher court’s ruling, especially that of the Court of Appeal,” Akere emphasized.
The party urged the Inspector-General of Police, the Director-General of the Department of State Security (DSS), and the National Security Adviser (NSA) to investigate and prevent what it claimed was a coordinated effort to cause chaos. The APC also called on Governor Adeleke to seek redress at the Supreme Court if dissatisfied with the Appeal Court decision, rather than creating further tension.
“The judiciary is the last hope of the common man. If it is compromised, our democracy is in serious danger,” Akere warned.
He concluded by stating that any attempt to forcibly replace APC chairmen could lead to constitutional and security breakdowns across the state. “The people of Osun State must be protected from lawlessness. The governor must not be allowed to hijack the judiciary or security architecture for political purposes,” Akere said.
In response, Governor Adeleke’s spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, dismissed the APC’s allegations as blackmail. He stated that the governor had not initiated any court actions and had advised elected PDP chairmen to maintain peace.
“The APC is attempting to escape the legal consequences of their unconstitutional occupation of local government offices,” Rasheed said in a statement.
He further accused the Osun APC of raising a false alarm, citing three lawsuits filed against the APC for its alleged invasion of local government secretariats. He emphasized that Governor Adeleke had no intention of instituting any court actions, instead advising PDP chairmen to respect the rule of law and avoid violence.
“The APC alarm of plots to deploy violence against the illegal court-sacked Yes/No chairmen is mere fantasy and a failed attempt to escape the legal consequences of their unconstitutional and reprehensible occupation of local government secretariats across Osun State,” Rasheed stated.
He concluded by urging the APC to focus on its legal battle and leave the governor out of what he described as the party’s “self-imposed and self-inflicted moral, legal and political injuries.”
