From Lateef Dada, Osogbo
Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) have divided over the imbroglio that has engulfed local government in Osun State.
Reacting to the threat by The Transparency Centre Network (TCN) to embark on a protest and drag the federal government to court over its refusal to allow the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to control the local government in the state, the Coalition for Good Governance (CGG) vowed to meet their protest with a force in numbers larger than theirs.
In a statement by the convener of CGG, Adedokun Ismail, on Thursday, the group condemned the threat by Ayuba Ammed, who led the TCN, saying, “We make bold to say that not only is the self-styled group a meddlesome interloper, but they are sponsored by the PDP to force the opinion of their lawyer, Mike Ozekhome SAN, on the President and the judiciary.”
Quoting the TCN as saying that obeying court orders is not optional and is not just a constitutional duty but a sacred one, CGG said, “One wonders why their own interpretation of a judgement has been flaunted as the position of the court and must be forced on the Federal Government.
“As citizens of Osun State who are also resident here and who have watched the different scenarios unfold since 2022, we make bold to say Governor Adeleke’s desperation must be curtailed.
“The judgement of the Court of Appeal of 10th February, 2025, has not been challenged at the Supreme Court and remains unchallenged, and one then wonders why Governor Ademola Adeleke and his co-travellers want to force and cause confusion with their own interpretation of the Court of Appeal ruling of 13th June, 2025.
“The major reason to relist the appeal, as sought by the All Progressives Congress, is that the same Court of Appeal had decided on the same issues raised by the appeal in appeal number CA/AK/270/2022 in its judgement of 10th February, 2025, which reinstated the Chairmen and Councillors elected under the platform of APC during the October 15th, 2022 Local Government Election.
“We condemn, in very strong terms, the attempt by the self-styled group to bully the Federal Government by issuing a 7-day ultimatum to enforce their own version of a legal debacle.
“We make bold to say that for every action there must be a reaction, and we will meet their protest, as threatened, with a force in numbers larger than theirs,” CGG said.
The group explained that only a decision of the Supreme Court can change the status quo, which validates the tenure of chairmen and councillors as elected in 2022, urging the President, IGP, Attorney General of the Federation, the Central Bank, and all concerned agencies of government to ignore the outcry by the various sponsored individuals and groups of the PDP in Osun State.