A prominent civil society group,Centre for Grassroot Development and Crime Prevention Initiative, has called for the arrest of Chief Press secretary to the former Osun state Governor, Ismail Omipidan, for Preempting Appeal Court over Osun Election
In a press statement issued and signed by Oluranti Salako, the National coordinator reads:
“We have been taken aback and outrightly astonished by a malicious statement signed by the media aide to the immediate past Governor of Osun State, Ismail Omipindan, titled: Why Adeleke will loose his appeal against tribunal judgement.
“In the said statement, Omipindan copiously and confidently asserted that the incumbent Governor of the State, Senator Ademola Jackson Nurudeen Adeleke would loose his appeal at the appellate court.
“Meanwhile, as a leading Organization with mandate to propagate social ideals in all communities of Nigeria against breakdown of law and threat to peaceful co-existence, we found this development in Osun very unfortunate and a recipe to anarchy.
“Moreso, when the Tribunal judgement of Friday, January 27, 2023, which favoured the former Governor, Adegboyega Oyetola had elicited wide condemnation around the world and among several legal luminaries as miscarriage of justice.
“Also, the preponderant reactions from the people of the State, the real electorates that voted during the 16th July, 2022 election have flayed the said judgement, as many of them have gone to the streets to protest the outcome of the election tribunal and pledged their support for Governor Ademola Adeleke.
“In the same vein, investigations have shown that majority of the Osun civil servants were disappointed with the judgement of the election tribunal, citing difference in their welfare between the previous administrations and the present.
“In the face of these political atmosphere in Osun State, therefore, we considered this statement by former Governor Oyetola’s aide, Ismail Omipindan very despicable and divisive, with inherent potency of causing large scale crisis in the State.
“This statement of Omipidan is by all intent
and purpose an affront on the honourable Court of Appeal and their lordships in particular as well as the judiciary in general.
“It is instructive to know that this is not the first time Mr Omipidan and his party, the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the State would be using the media to intimidate and blackmail the judiciary since the commencement of gubernatorial election litigations in the post July 16th poll.
“We now call on all the heads of security agencies to quickly order for the immediate arrest of Mr Ismail Omipindan and his cohorts, who hide under the prowess and power of the media to denigrate the judiciary, stimulate anarchy and heat up the polity unnecessarily in Osun State.
