Osun State governor, Ademola Adeleke has alerted the public about an alleged plot by Minister Gboyega Oyetola to cause upheaval within the state. In a statement released on his official X account, Ademola stated that Oyetola, who is the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy has been issuing illegal directives to security chiefs within the state.
According to the governor, the influence that Oyetola exerts is associated with his position as Tinubu’s nephew. Therefore, he referenced the president in his address, stating “I know Mr. President to be a true Democrat, a lover of the rule of law, and a believer in the sanctity of the judicial process. I know that Mr. President will never authorise a dictatoria Mr. President will never support any action that is capable of generating bloodbath and bloodshed”.
Following this appraisal, Governor Adeleke approached the crux of the matter, alerting the President of the minister’s activity within the state. He mentioned that, “I, however, 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 is saying illegal directives to security operatives to enforce illegality simply because he is the nephew of Mr. President. I chose to alert the nation before my people are killed or maimed by a minister in the name of dropping the name of Mr. President in connivance with the Osun State security operatives obeying unlawful orders”.
This ongoing dispute stems from recent political activity in Osun, involving the ruling party and the opposition party, APC in a brewing local government crisis. Earlier, the Federal High Court had nullified the October 2022 local government elections. The ruling was made on the ground that the election was unconstitutional and breached certain sections of the constitution.
Despite the judgement asserted by the Federal High Court, the APC in Osun challenged the decision by approaching the Court of Appeal in Akure to revisit the case. However, according to the OSSIEC chairman, Mr. Hassam Abioye, the judgement given by the Court of Appeal did not specifically order the reinstatement of the APC-elected chairman and councilors into office. The chairman stated that “there is no order returning any purported elected officials of the APC back to office. He further emphasized that “there is no order stopping the election already scheduled for February 22, 2025”.
However, Adegoke Ogunsola, the legal advisor of Osun APC had “nullified the decision of the Federal High Court, which wrongly removed the elected LG Chairman and Councillors from Office”. He further declared that “no local government election can be held by the compromised OSSIEC in February 2025 to overreach the decision of the Court of Appeal..
The governor, in a bid to clarify his stance on the issue stated that the council chairman had been sacked before he was sworn in. Therefore, the action wasn’t a result of his Executive Order, as widely acclaimed. However, Oyetola, has since dismissed the allegations, describing the governor’s actions as resorting to ‘cheap blackmail’. The minister appealed to Ademola Adeleke to respect the judgement made by the Court of Appeal.
Earlier in January, iNaijaNow had shared a post about how protesters attacked the deputy governor of Ogun State. This constant upheaval in the Nigerian political climate is an issue that political leaders must address.
Disclaimer: The opinions, views, and information expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy, position, or opinions of iNaijanow. The company assumes no liability for any errors, omissions, or damages arising from the use of this information. Abisola Ige is a seasoned content writer with experience in crafting engaging and quality articles across various niches. She is passionate about creating impactful content that informs and inspires readers.
