Governor Adeleke Accuses Oyetola of Using Police to Occupy Osun LG Councils Illegally

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By Sola Isola

Osun State Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke has accused the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Gboyega Oyetola of using the Nigeria Police Force to occupy local government secretariats in the state illegally.

Adeleke stated this on Monday in a statewide broadcast adding that APC Yes/No Chairmen were removed from office by the Federal High Court and that he did not remove them office.

He further alleged Former Governor Oyetola of instructing the sacked Chairmen to remain in office despite the court order emboldening them with the backing of the Police.

“For close to one year now, local government secretariats across Osun State have been under illegal occupation by the court-sacked APC chairmen and councillors, whose election was nullified by the Federal High Court, Osogbo, in November 2022, and affirmed by the Court of Appeal on 10 February 2025 and again on 13 June 2025.

“Their election was struck down because it was conducted in clear violation of the requirements of the law.

“I did not remove these APC chairmen and councillors from office. The court did. Since then, they have had no lawful mandate whatsoever.

“Yet, in brazen contempt of the law and in repudiation of democratic decency, they have refused to vacate the secretariats, emboldened by the backing of the Nigerian Police, as allegedly instructed by former Governor Gboyega Oyetola.
By contrast, pursuant to subsisting court orders, the Osun State High Court directed the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission to conduct fresh local government elections.

“In compliance, after giving the required 360 days’ notice, lawful local government elections were held on 22 February 2025, and duly elected chairmen and councillors were sworn in on 23 February 2025. These officials constitute the only lawful local government leadership in Osun State today.

“It is a settled matter of law that the tenure of elected officials in Nigeria cannot be extended for a single day after the expiration of their tenure. The Supreme Court, in the case of former Governor Ladoja of Oyo State, ruled that the governor’s tenure could not be extended after finding in his favour that he was removed from office illegally for about eleven months and reinstating him to office.

“In several filings that have become public documents in our courts, including the Supreme Court, their lawyers and the Attorney-General of the Federation admitted that these APC chairmen and councillors have no claim to office beyond October 22, 2025. To further confirm that their so-called tenure has expired, the APC chairmen and councillors approached the Federal High Court, seeking an extension of their expired tenure.

“That case has not been heard. But the very act of seeking an extension amounts to a clear admission, both in law and in fact, that whatever so-called tenure they claimed they had had expired. Assuming, without conceding, that the APC chairmen and councillors had any tenure, that tenure expired on October 22, 2025.

“Despite these incontrovertible legal facts, they have continued to occupy the local government secretariats by brute force, with police protection allegedly acting on the instructions of former Governor Gboyega Oyetola.

“A few days ago, believing that these APC imposters would honour even their own admission that their tenure had expired, local government workers attempted to resume their duties.

“Although the police initially promised protection, many of these workers were instead beaten, harassed, and intimidated by a combination of armed police officers and APC thugs. The use of armed police officers to occupy local government secretariats and intimidate civil servants is a grave abuse of power and an affront to democracy.

“My administration took serious exception to this development. However, we have deliberately chosen the path of peace. This is because the ultimate objective of these enemies of our people is to provoke violence, unleash mayhem, and then manufacture conditions for the imposition of a state of emergency on Osun State.

“It is saddening that in a democracy, these APC chairmen and councillors threaten, on their various social media platforms, that they will continue to occupy the local government secretariats for as long as they want because they claim to have the backing of former Governor Gboyega Oyetola, and that any attempt to remove them from their illegal occupation of the local government secretariats will surely result in the imposition of a state of emergency on Osun State, with the suspension of my administration.

“Time and again, we have frustrated their plans by responding with restraint, maturity, and respect for the rule of law. But sometimes, I wonder if we are really under a democratic system of government where nobody is above the law.

“In Osun State, it seems that the APC chairmen and councillors, whose so-called tenure has expired, are above the law by the grace of former Governor Gboyega Oyetola. I have formally written to the heads of relevant federal security agencies regarding actions that threaten peace and order in Osun State.

“It is deeply unfortunate that former Governor Gboyega Oyetola has chosen to weaponize federal institutions, particularly the Nigerian Police Force. He has equally applied the same approach to the United Bank for Africa Plc (UBA) to impose hardship and suffering on the good people of Osun State through alleged illegal instructions.

“As you are aware, since February 2025, statutory allocations to Osun State local governments have been withheld. As of the last FAAC meeting, a total of One Hundred and Thirty Billion Naira of our local government funds is being illegally withheld by the Federal Government. Attempts were made to divert those funds through accounts opened with United Bank for Africa (UBA) by people not authorized by law to be signatories to local government funds.

“What I do not understand is why a reputable international bank like UBA has allowed itself to be used to break our laws and permit people who are not recognized by law to be signatories to Osun State local government accounts, after it has been advised on those whom the law says can be signatories to these accounts.

“Can UBA wilfully break the laws of New York State or the laws of the City of London where it operates? The answer is a CAPITAL NO.
But as far as they are concerned, this is Nigeria, where our laws can be trampled upon without consequence, as long as they are allegedly breaking the law to satisfy former Governor Gboyega Oyetola.

“I want to inform the good people of Osun State that those senior managers in UBA who aided and abetted the opening of Osun State local government accounts by people not allowed by law are already facing criminal prosecution before our courts.

“The local government statutory allocation is the primary source for the remuneration of primary school teachers, nurses, and other health workers at the 332 health care centres in Osun State, all local government workers, the traditional councils, as well as retirees in each local government in Osun State.

“Imagine the level of suffering these people who depend on local government statutory allocations for the payment of their salaries would have gone through if my government had not stepped in to borrow from the state government to pay the salaries of these workers over the last almost 12 months, with the exception of traditional council salaries.

“To be able to come up with the funds from the state government, a lot of sacrifices had to be made. Allowances due to senior civil servants and political appointees had to be put on hold, at great discomfort to these men and women, in addition to slowing down some of the state’s ongoing projects. We have done this because governance is, above all, about humanity, responsibility, and compassion. But this is not sustainable.

“While Osun local government funds are being withheld to the detriment of primary school teachers, nurses in our primary health care centres, local government civil servants, retirees, and the good people of Osun State in general by UBA, allegedly under the directive of former Governor Oyetola, the APC chairmen and councillors whose so-called tenure has lapsed are receiving payments in the millions from UBA, again allegedly under the directive of former Governor Gboyega Oyetola.
How this barefaced illegality can be happening in a democracy is very unfortunate, to say the least.

“At this point, I respectfully appeal to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene. I wish to assure the good people of Osun State that Mr. President is not involved in this illegality. Mr. President is among those who fought the military for our democracy.

“I believe Mr. President’s name is being used without his knowledge by Governor Gboyega Oyetola to get the Nigerian Police and UBA to obey his alleged illegal directives. I therefore urge Mr. President to protect the integrity of our democracy by rescuing Osun State local governments from the vice grip of those whose self-awarded tenure has lapsed. I respectfully request that Governor Gboyega Oyetola be restrained from further issuance of illegal directives to the Nigerian Police, which undermine the very fabric of our democracy.

“There is no place in our Constitution and laws that allows for tenure elongation for any elected official. What confronts us here is law versus lawlessness, constitutional order versus naked impunity.

“I therefore call on Nigerians and all those who sacrificed so much for our democracy to join us in demanding an immediate end to the siege on our local governments.

“Former Governor Gboyega Oyetola, please allow Osun State to breathe. Enough is enough. I thank you all for your support and steadfastness. Continue to pray for us and trust in our resolve to protect your interests.

“As your governor, I will uphold the Constitution and safeguard your welfare. I urge you to remain peaceful, lawful, and watchful.”