The Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has expressed strong disapproval regarding the recent letter from the state government to federal authorities, introducing what they claim are illegitimate chairmen and councillors for the local government areas in the state. The party has labeled these individuals as “impostors,” asserting that no elections were held to validate their positions.
In a statement released today by Mogaji Kola Olabisi, the Osun State APC Director of Media and Information, the party criticized the Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Kazeem Igbalaye, for presenting the introduced members to the Attorney-General of the Federation, Mr. Lateef Fagbemi, the Accountant-General, Mr. Shamsedeen Babatunde Ogunjimi, and Central Bank Governor, Mr. Yemi Cardoso. They emphasized that the recent Court of Appeal ruling, which reinstated local government executives elected in October 2022, negates the need for new elections.
The party pointed out that despite clear legal advice from the Attorney-General against conducting new elections, Governor Ademola Adeleke proceeded with the introduction of these officials. They described Adeleke’s actions as a blatant disregard for legal counsel, noting that the Inspector-General of Police had also recommended postponing elections due to unfavorable security reports in the state.
The APC is urging federal officials to disregard the letter of introduction, which they argue stems from an illegitimate electoral process. They accuse the Osun State Government of attempting to undermine the Appeal Court’s ruling by seeking to appeal to a lower court, a move they deem unprecedented and unjust.
“The legally-recognized council chairmen and councillors in Osun State today are the reinstated APC council chairmen and councillors who are committed to good governance at the local government level,” the statement asserted.
The APC also called on Governor Adeleke to focus on pressing issues within his party, including addressing the ongoing investigations into the murder of their party leader, Hon. Remi Abass, rather than seeking to consolidate power through questionable means.
In conclusion, the Osun APC remains steadfast in its demand for adherence to the law and the recognition of the rightful local government officials, urging federal authorities to take appropriate action.
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PRESS STATEMENT. (12TH MARCH, 2025).
*The Illegal Council Chairmen, Councillors You Introduced To Federal Gov’t Are Impostors*
– Osun APC Knocks Adeleke
The Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has described as shameful the letter written by the state government to the Attorney-General of the Federation, Mr Lateef Fagbemi; the Accountant-General of the Federation, Shamsedeen Babatunde Ogunjimi and the Central Bank Governor Yemi Cardoso, introducing the illegally-selected chairmen and councillors of the 30 local government council areas in the state.
We want to put it on record and for the attention of the Attorney-General of the Federation, the Accountant-General of the Federation and the Central Bank Governor that the introduced PDP chieftains by the Secretary to the State Government, Mr Kazeem Igbalaye, are impersonators as there was no election where such characters were elected.
As a matter of fact, there were no vacancies for the conduct of any election given that the Court of Appeal had in its judgement of February 10, 2025, reinstated local government executives elected in October 2022 but which were sacked by Governor Ademola Adeleke.
Following the furore generated by the landmark judgment, the PDP Caucus in the National Assembly had appealed to the Attorney-General of the Federation to give interpretation to the Appeal Court verdict, a request which the Chief Law Officer honoured when in a letter addressed to the Osun State Governor, Adeleke, advising him not to conduct a fresh election in the state as Chairmen and Councilors elected in 2022 were yet to exhaust their tenure.
We found it bizarre that the state Governor Adeleke who flagrantly turned down the sound professional advice of the Attorney-General of the Federation not to hold the election as there were no vacancies for such could now genuflect to the same Attorney General, introducing some political deviants as the duly elected local government executives.
It is also on record that the Inspector-General of Police lent his voice on the need for Governor Adeleke to put the elections on hold as the security report in the state wasn’t favourable for such. The counsel of the IGP was equally discountenanced.
We are pleading passionately with the Attorney-General of the Federation, the Accountant-General of the Federation and the Governor of the Central Bank to ignore the purported letter of introduction of the impostors as it is a product of a needless and an illegitimate election.
The Federal Government should note that to rationalize and legitimize the brazen disregard to the Court of Appeal judgement, the Osun State Government went shopping for a pliable judge in a state High Court to upturn the judgement of the higher court.
It is unheard of that a judgement-debtor would approach a lower court to seek redress and upturn the judgement of a superior court on any matter in the way and manner that Governor Adeleke and his cohorts have been rigmaroling to purchase justice at all cost.
We urge your good offices to consign the dubious letter of introduction of the power-mongering clowns from the Office of the Secretary to the Osun State Government into the trash basket as it has no basis under the law.
The legally-recognized council chairmen and councillors in Osun State today are the reinstated APC council chairmen and councillors who are working assiduously to enthrone good governance at the local government level.
Rather than seeking to poach power through the back door after losing it in the court of law, the embattled Govenror Adeleke should help the law enforcement agency to fish out some of the PDP chieftains in Irewole Local Government who are running helter skelter like the biblical Cain from police invitations after killing our party leader and former Chairman of Irewole Local Government, Hon. Remi Abass.
Governor Adeleke should be concerned about identifying the murderers in his fold and party than instigating mayhem in his desperation to continue to have a hold on the financial resources of the local governments in the state.
e-SIGNED:
Mogaji KOLA OLABISI, Osun State APC Director of Media and Information.
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