Osun State

The Appeal Court sitting in Akure has on Monday, March 13, 2023, said it would reserved judgement on the Osun State Governorship Appeal which was filled by Governor Ademola Adeleke.

Following the judgement of the Osun State Governorship Tribunal which had nullified his election, Adeleke had on February 9th, appealed the said decision.

Recall the tribunal had ruled in favour of the state’s former governor, Gboyega Oyetola. While delivering February judgement, two out of the three-member of the tribunal panel held that Oyetola was able to proved that there was over-voting in some of the polling units.

In a swift reaction, Adeleke had rejected the ruling and described it as a “miscarriage of justice”.

The governor filed an appeal before the Akure division of the Court of Appeal a week after.

In the 31 grounds of appeal filed on Wednesday, Adeleke is praying the court for “an order setting aside the whole decision of the tribunal”.

The governor is equally seeking “an order striking out the petition for want of competence and jurisdiction or in the alternative, an order dismissing the petition on the merit”.

“The second respondent cannot ‘go lo lo lo lo’ and ‘buga won’ as the duly elected governor of Osun state,” the governor said.

“The tribunal, in its judgment, erred in law and displayed bias against the appellant when it made reference to the appellant’s dance at his inauguration as governor of Osun state which was never an issue before the lower tribunal,” Adeleke noted.

“By referring to the appellant’s personal eccentricity for dancing, the lower tribunal derided and mocked him in a manner suggesting that it was biased against him.

“The appearance of bias manifests in the reference to the Appellant’s proclivity for dancing and particularly the Buga song, has rendered the decision of the lower Tribunal a nullity.

“The tribunal in its judgment erred in law in returning the 1st respondent as the duly elected candidate without due regard to the enormity of the voters in the units where the results were cancelled for overvoting.”

Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun, has ordered that the palaces of the Akinrun of Ikirun, Aree of Iree and Owa of Igbajo, should remain unoccupied while security agencies should takeover with immediate effect.

This was contained in the Executive Orders, signed by Governor Adeleke, and announced by his spokesperson, Mallam Olawale Rasheed, on Monday, November 28, 2022.

The governor noted in Executive Order 5, that appointments into the three and other traditional ruler positions, made after July 17, 2022 have been put on hold pending review.

Adeleke also approved the constitution of review committees for the state of government affairs in the state.

He also reversed all appointments made in Ministries, Departments, Agencies, Boards, and Parastatals after July 17, 2022.

The statement titled ‘Governor Ademola Adeleke Issues Six Executive Orders Covering Chieftaincy Matters, Appointments, Others’ reads;

“The Orders signed this morning (Monday) by His Excellency covered chieftaincy matters, appointments issues, setting up of review panel, staff audit and employment matters. Each of the Executive orders are reproduced below:

1. Executive Order on State bank accounts

“I hereby order the immediate freezing of all Government accounts in all banks and other financial institutions”

2. Executive Order Number 2 on Staff Audit

“All Heads of Ministries, Departments, Agencies, Commissions, Boards and Parastatals of Osun State Government are hereby directed to carry out an immediate staff audit of the actual number of government workers in their various Ministries, Departments, Agencies, Commissions, Boards and Parastatals, as at 17th July, 2022, and should file a report to the Office of the Chief of Staff to the Governor stating the full details and position/designation of each of the staff on the forwarded list , within 7 working days from the date of this Executive order using the attached Oath of Fidelity Template”

3. Executive Order number 3 on Employment

“All employments in the service of Osun State Government made in any capacity into any capacity in all the Ministries, Departments, Agencies, Commissions , Boards and Parastatals after July 17th, 2022 be and are hereby nullified.

4. Executive Order 4 on Appointments

“All appointments in the service of Osun State Government made in any capacity into any capacity in all the Ministries, Departments, Agencies, Commissions, Boards and Parastatals after 17th July, 2022 be and are hereby reversed.

5. Executive Order number five on Chieftaincy Affairs and appointment of traditional rulers

“All appointments of traditional rulers made by Osun State Government after 17th July, 2022, are hereby ordered to be reviewed to ensure there was strict compliance with due process of chieftaincy declarations and native law, custom and tradition relating to such chieftaincies. In the case of Ikirun, Iree and Igbajo, to avoid further breakdown of law and order, the appointments of Akinrun of Ikinrun, Aree of Ire and Owa of Igbajo are hereby put on hold pending review. Subsequently, the palaces of Akinrun of Ikirun, Aree of Iree and Owa of Igbajo should remain unoccupied, while security agencies are hereby ordered to take charge.

6. Executive Order number 6 Setting up Review Committees

“In line with the executive orders Nos 2, 3, 4 and 5 already issued by me, I hereby order the set-up of the following Review Committees

1. STAFF AUDIT/APPOINTMENTS/PROMOTIONS REVIEW COMMITTEE.
2. STATE ASSETS INVENTORY AND RECOVERY COMMITTEE
3. CONTRACTS/MOUS/AGREEMENTS REVIEW COMMITTEE
4. CHIEFTAINCY MATTERS/APPOINTMENT OF TRADITIONAL RULERS REVIEW COMMITTEE