From Lateef Dada, Osogbo
Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, yesterday said the Supreme Court ruling on Rivers local government election has clearly confirmed that the Yes/No Local Government election conducted by the All Progressives Congress (APC), was in violation of the electoral act and therefore remains null and void.
He posited that the latest judgement of the apex court affirmed that there is no legal ground for the Yes/No chairmen to continue to ‘illegally’ occupy the secretariats.
Addressing the council of traditional rulers at the finance building, Abere, Osogbo, said the meeting was in fulfilment of his promise to regularly update the monarchs on governance development.
He informed the monarchs on alleged vandalisation of newly renovated primary health care centres, and urged the traditional rulers to keep watch over the PHCs to forestall further vandalisation.
Governor Adeleke who queried why the APC did not pursue the case against it by the APP to the supreme court after the appeal court dismissed the case, maintained that “In the case of Akure appeal court ruling, PDP has nothing to appeal against to the Supreme Court as there was no consequential order and as the court has directly ignored reinstatement request as mere academic exercise.”
He stated that he was not responsible for the sacking of the Yes/No council chairmen, saying that “A Federal High Court removed them from office in October, 2022 while my predecessor was still in office. I took over in November, 2022. This fact is critical to understanding the development that followed.
“The Supreme Court ruling on Rivers local government election has clearly confirmed that the Osun Yes/No election was conducted in violation of the electoral act and therefore remains null and void. The latest judgement of the apex court affirm that there is no legal ground for the Yes/No chairmen to continue to illegally occupy the secretariats.
“Our royal fathers, you have all the facts before you. There is no reinstatement order as you can see. The Supreme Court judgement, in the case of Rivers State, validated the judgment of the Federal High Court, which sacked those elected in Osun state in violation of the electoral act,” Adeleke said.
Speaking on behalf of the traditional rulers, Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, said the council will not support any kind of violence that may affect the status of Osun as a peaceful state.
“We are also not happy with the LG crisis in the state, we abhor violence and Osun is a peaceful state, a status that must be maintained irrespective of the issues in contention.”