By Richard Akintade, Osogbo
A civil society organisation, The Osun Masterminds, TOM, has condemned the alleged disregard of the Court of Appeal judgment and the opinion of the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, by the State Government with regards to the local government administration.
The group also urged well-meaning Nigerians to prevail on the Osun government to end the needless crisis it has plunged the state into and allow the rule of law prevail.
The group made this known during its June State of the State address in Osogbo.
Relating TOM’s message, the Executive Director, Prof Wasiu Oyedokun-Alli which referred to the local government impasse as a matter of grave concern, added that the Osun State Government was swimming against the tide of clear Court pronouncements.
Oyedokun-Alli said, “The confusion surrounding the Local Government administration in Osun State started from the Appeal Court judgment of the 10th day of February, 2025, which was widely interpreted as reinstating the Local Government Chairmen elected under the APC in 2022. It is on record that even the Attorney-General of the Federation interpreted the judgment to mean the APC Chairmen were reinstated.
“The sad twist of events that led to killings and the abandonment of Local Government Secretariats by LG Employees, is well documented in the public domain and needs no over-beating.
We are to point out however, that the utter disregard for, not just the Appeal Court, but also the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation, by the Osun State Government is a matter of grave concern. Where we understand that the Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, is the number one Law Officer of the Federation, we must realize that his opinions are not just official, they are also binding.
“Aside from being the number 1 Law Officer of the Federation, we also recall that the Osun State caucus of the House of Reps called on his office to help interpret the February 10 Judgment, only to turn around and reject his intervention. We wonder why the Osun State Government and its co-travellers are bent on rendering the Local Government useless if they will not have their way.
“We have studied several legal positions on this matter, especially from highly revered silks who have dissected the pronouncements of the Court and one thing remains obvious – the Osun State Government is swimming against the tide of clear Court pronouncements.”
The group demanded to know why the state government was not working with the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the state while President Bola Tinubu’s administration was working with the Ademola Adeleke Peoples Democratic Party, PDP led administration?
