The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State has levelled serious allegations against Governor Ademola Adeleke, accusing him of orchestrating what they termed a “judicial coup” aimed at reinstating local government chairmen from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
In a strongly-worded statement issued yesterday in Osogbo, the APC State Chairman, Sooko Tajudeen Lawal, claimed that Governor Adeleke was employing “backdoor judicial tactics” to circumvent established legal processes and forcefully reinstall PDP officials who were removed following the expiration of their tenure.
“We have uncovered a clandestine plot by the Adeleke administration to manipulate the judicial process and obtain favourable court judgments that would return their party members to local government offices illegally,” Lawal alleged in the statement made available to journalists.
The controversy stems from the dissolution of local government administrations that were appointed during the previous APC government led by former Governor Gboyega Oyetola. Upon assuming office, Governor Adeleke had installed caretaker committees to oversee local government affairs, a move that was subsequently challenged in court.
According to the APC chairman, reliable intelligence suggests that certain judicial officers have been approached to deliver judgments that would legitimize the return of PDP officials to local government positions ahead of the scheduled local government elections.
“This desperate attempt to capture local government structures through judicial manipulation rather than through the ballot box represents a dangerous subversion of democratic principles and the rule of law,” Lawal further alleged.
Responding to the allegations, the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, dismissed the claims as “baseless fabrications from a party still nursing the wounds of electoral defeat.”
“Governor Adeleke is a product of judicial fairness and believes in the independence of the judiciary. These allegations are merely diversionary tactics by the APC to distract attention from the ongoing preparations for free and fair local government elections,” Alimi stated.
Constitutional lawyer, Barrister Femi Falana (SAN), speaking on the matter without referring to any party, emphasized that local government autonomy remains a contentious issue nationwide.
“The constitution is clear about the democratic status of local governments, but implementation has been problematic across party lines. Court judgments should be respected, but they must be obtained through proper judicial procedures without external influence,” Falana noted.
Meanwhile, the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSSIEC) has announced its readiness to conduct local government elections in the coming months, stating that necessary preparations are underway to ensure credible polls.
Political analysts observe that control of local government structures represents significant political advantage, particularly with general elections approaching, as these grassroots institutions provide critical mobilization platforms and access to resources.
The State House of Assembly’s Committee on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs has called for restraint from all parties involved, urging them to allow legal processes to run their course without undue interference or inflammatory rhetoric that could heighten tensions in the state.
