Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs and member representing Obokun/Oriade Federal Constituency of Osun State, Oluwole Oke, has cautioned Governor Ademola Adeleke to comply without delay with the Court of Appeal ruling reinstating elected local government officials from the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.
In a statement made available to journalists in Abuja on Thursday, Oke accused Governor Adeleke of shirking legal responsibilities and resorting to blackmail against key national figures, including President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), Central Bank Governor, Yemi Cardoso, and former Osun State Governor and APC leader, Gboyega Oyetola.
“Please, stop blackmailing Mr. President and Commander-in-Chief, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Osun APC leader, Asiwaju Isiaka Gboyega Oyetola, AGF Lateef Fagbemi SAN, and the CBN Governor,” Oke said.
He blamed the Adeleke administration for the hardship allegedly being experienced by local government employees and residents, which he attributed to the illegal removal of duly elected APC chairmen, vice-chairmen, and councillors.
“It is your government that is inflicting pain on us—the beneficiaries of local government administration in Osun State—by not doing the right thing,” he said.
Oke cited the recent Court of Appeal ruling, which held that the PDP and the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSSIEC) had approached the wrong court in seeking to upturn the APC’s local government victories. He asserted that the window to appeal the ruling at the Supreme Court had “closed perpetually.”
“One of the reasons I left the PDP under your leadership is because you don’t listen to advice. Those around you do not mean well for you,” Oke revealed, adding that he had personally advised the governor to respect the appellate court’s ruling but was ignored.
“Only an illiterate lawyer will advise you to act contrary to what the Court of Appeal ruled. What else do you need to hear, sir?” he queried, stressing that the law was clear and that further delay would only deepen the crisis.
Oke urged Governor Adeleke to immediately direct local government civil servants under the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) to return to work and cooperate with the reinstated APC officials until the expiration of their tenure.
“What is left for you to do now is to direct the local government civil servants, NULGE, to go back to work, embrace the APC elected officials, and work together until their tenure ends,” he said.
He further urged OSSIEC to begin preparations for fresh elections within the constitutional timeframe of 180 days.
Oke warned that if the reinstated officials demand to complete their full three-year tenure, they must be paid all their outstanding entitlements. “In the alternative, they can be paid their emoluments for the three years,” he added.
The lawmaker also expressed sympathy for PDP candidates who participated in the now-nullified election, stating that many of them incurred heavy financial burdens.
“All the PDP chairmanship aspirants, their deputies and councillors spent a fortune to contest the ill-fated election. Some borrowed owo isobo (soft loans), sold their property, and are now suffering hopelessly. It’s my prayer that they survive,” he said.
