Amid the ongoing controversy over who is legally authorized to occupy local government secretariats in Osun State, the State Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Bunmi Jenyo, has accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) of attempting to forcefully reclaim the secretariats through illegitimate means.
Jenyo alleged that the APC, rather than preparing for the 2026 gubernatorial election scheduled for August 8, is resorting to unlawful actions under the guise of implementing a non-existent court judgment.
Speaking during a press briefing with members of the Osun State Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Osogbo, the state capital, Jenyo called on President Bola Tinubu to intervene in the matter.
“The APC is not preparing for the upcoming election, and that is why they are trying to take over the secretariats through the backdoor,” Jenyo stated. “They claim a Supreme Court ruling reinstated their ‘Yes/No’ chairmen, but there is no such judgment.”
He further accused the party of colluding with unnamed authorities to block local government allocations, urging President Tinubu to step in and ensure constitutional order is maintained.
“The only legally recognized council chairmen are those elected on February 22, 2025. Anything outside this is illegal,” he emphasized.
Speaking on the achievements of his ministry in the last two and a half years, Jenyo highlighted the current administration’s commitment to reviving the moribund Cocoa Industry located in Ede.
He blamed the delay in revitalizing the industry on a breach of agreement between the previous administration and a Chinese firm that had committed significant investment into the project.
According to him, the industry’s facilities were looted and set ablaze during the 2020 EndSARS protests after food palliatives and other essential commodities were stored there by the administration of former Governor Gboyega Oyetola.
“The state did not receive any formal handover note from the past administration,” Jenyo said. “The former government entered into an agreement with a Chinese company, which brought in equipment worth billions of naira. Unfortunately, these were destroyed during the protest.”
Jenyo noted that upon assumption of office, he had to personally engage with the Chinese firm to prevent legal action that could have cost the state billions of naira.
“My intervention saved Osun from a litigation crisis. That industry remains a key focus for us, and efforts are ongoing to bring it back to life,” he added.
