Adeleke Urges IGP to End Support for Sacked LG Chairmen, Faults Political Parties Deregistration Ruling
By Waliu Adetokun, Osogbo
Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, on Monday called on the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) to direct the Osun State Police Command to withdraw support from local government chairmen whose tenure was declared invalid by a Federal High Court sitting in Osogbo.
The governor made the call while briefing journalists on recent court judgments affecting the state’s political landscape, including the dismissal of a suit seeking tenure elongation for the affected council chairmen and the Federal High Court ruling in Abuja ordering the deregistration of some political parties.
Adeleke said the Osogbo court judgment had further strengthened the position that tenure elongation for elected officials was unconstitutional, adding that the court also ruled that the claimants lacked the legal standing to institute the case.
According to him, the judgment effectively confirmed that the tenure of the chairmen expired in October 2025.
“Based on today’s judgment, I therefore call on the Inspector-General of Police to direct the Osun State Police Command to stop its current support for the Yes/No chairmen,” the governor said.
He also urged the Commissioner of Police in the state to withdraw security personnel attached to the officials.
“I specifically direct the Commissioner of Police to stop providing further security cover for the illegal occupation of the council secretariats by the sacked chairmen,” Adeleke stated.
The governor further accused the United Bank for Africa (UBA) of collaborating with the affected officials and called on the bank to ensure that all local government funds remain intact and are properly accounted for.
“We remind UBA that it has sworn to an affidavit in which it vowed that the entire diverted local government fund is intact. Based on this affidavit and today’s judgment, we insist that the UBA must ensure that every kobo of the local government fund is secured and accounted for,” he said.
Adeleke also demanded that the bank recognise signatories prescribed by law to operate local government accounts, noting that the funds were urgently needed for the payment of workers’ salaries, pensions and other entitlements.
“We demand that UBA allows signatories prescribed by law to become signatories to the local government accounts. These funds are needed to pay local workers who are in need of their pensions and other allowances,” he added.
The governor called on security agencies and other law enforcement bodies to facilitate the immediate restoration of duly elected local government chairmen across the state.
“We demand that all law enforcement agents should support the immediate restoration of the duly elected local government chairmen. This is the path of law and the Constitution,” he said.
Reacting to the Federal High Court judgment in Abuja that reportedly ordered the deregistration of some political parties, Adeleke described the decision as a violation of an earlier order of the Court of Appeal.
“The action of the Federal High Court is clearly an affront to the Court of Appeal, an abuse of court process and an open threat against the integrity of the electoral process,” he said.
The governor maintained that the ruling would not stand, arguing that the Court of Appeal had already stayed proceedings in the matter pending further hearing scheduled for October.
“It is on record that the Court of Appeal had stayed proceedings on the matter till October. We are therefore surprised that the lower court proceeded to act on a matter already acted upon by the higher court,” he stated.
He disclosed that legal steps had already been taken to challenge the ruling and reassured supporters that the Accord Party would participate in the August 15 governorship election.
“I call on Osun people to remain calm. The judgment cannot stay. Accord will be on the ballot; we will be on the ballot; and we will win resoundingly on August 15,” Adeleke said.
The governor also dismissed what he described as attempts by the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) to derail his re-election bid, urging supporters to turn out in large numbers for the official flag-off of his campaign scheduled for Tuesday.
“Our people are reassured that efforts by Osun APC to stop our re-election have failed. Our flag-off rally is holding tomorrow. Let us troop out en masse to grace the occasion,” he said.
“We will not be distracted. We remain focused on winning. By God’s grace and the people’s support, continuity shall prevail come August 15.”
The governor expressed confidence that his administration would secure a second term, insisting that ongoing legal and political challenges would not distract his government from its electoral objectives.