Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun has directed career heads of Local Government Areas, LGAs, and Area Councils Development Areas, ACDAs, in the state to take charge of their councils from the sacked council chairmen and councillors.
The directive is contained in a statement issued by Adeleke’s chief press secretary, Olawale Rasheed.
Adeleke says the directive is with immediate effect.
“Gov. Adeleke also directed the most senior career heads across all the local government areas, to take charge of their councils.
“This is in compliance with the judgment of the Federal High Court sitting in Osogbo that sacked the council d Local Government Chairmen and Councilors,” the government said.
The News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, reports that Justice Nathaniel Ayo-Emmanuel of the Federal High Court sitting in Osogbo, on Friday, declared the local government election conducted by the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission, OSIEC, as null and void.
Justice Ayo-Emmanuel delivered the judgment based on a PDP suit, asking the court to stop the Osun Independent Electoral Commission, OSIEC, from conducting the Osun October 15 Local Government election.
The judge, in his judgment, stated that the Local Government election that was subsequently held by OSIEC was held in contravention of Sections 29 and 32 of the Electoral Act, 2022.
Reacting to the ruling, the Chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria, ALGON, in Osun, Mr Abiodun Idowu, called on its members to remain calm and peaceful.
Idowu said the leadership of their party- the All Progressives Congress, APC, and all the chairmen across the 69 LGAs, ACDAs had filed a ‘Notice of Appeal and Stay of Execution’ against the ruling.
First Move: Governor Adeleke Freezes Osun Bank Accounts, Vows To ‘Correct Past Injustices’
One of Osun Governor Ademola Adeleke first acts in office is to direct that all the bank accounts belonging to the state to be frozen till further notice.
He gave the directive shortly after he was sworn in as the sixth Governor of the State.
He also reversed policies introduced by former Governor Rauf Aregbesola and vowed to review all appointments by his predecessor, former Governor Adegboyega Oyetola, since July 17th 2022 when he lost election.
Adeleke, who was sworn in at the Osogbo Township Stadium on Sunday, November 27, 2022, promised to deliver all his campaign promises.
“Under my watch, I will correct past injustice, corrupt acts or policies by the previous administration which are against the collective interest of our people,” he declared.
He gave an Executive Order to reverse the policies of Aregbesola, which recognised Osun State as State of Osun.
He also announced that the slogan of the State will no longer be ‘State of Virtue’ but ‘State of Living Spring’.
