Osun State Government and the state chapter of the All Progressives Congress have been engaged in verbal battle over the recent appointments of new traditional rulers by Governor Ademola Adeleke.
Adeleke had announced the appointments of new Owa of Igbajo and Aree of Iree months after sacking those appointed by his predecessor, Gboyega Oyetola.
Blowing hot, APC told Adeleke that “he cannot get away with the use of falsehoods, deceits and stratagems employed by him to run his administration to the detriment of rule of law, fair play, due process and justice.”
The state chairman of the APC, Tajudeen Lawal, in a statement issued by the party’s Director of Media and Information, Kola Olabisi, on Monday, said it was unfortunate and worrisome the rate at which Adeleke has been desecrating the obaship institution with impunity in the state.
Lawal disclosed that the purported confirmation of the appointment of another Owa of Igbajo when the one legally installed by the state government, Adegboyega Famodun, by Oyetola, “according to the law, tradition and custom of the people of the ancient town of Igbajo, is still very much in place, is a nullity which cannot withstand the legal fireworks in the court of law.”
The state APC chairman accused Governor Adeleke of “running government by deceit, by concocting the holding of an exco meeting knowing when none was held.”
While reiterating his confidence in the judiciary to deal decisively with the issue, Lawal explained that, “if Adeleke thinks that he can usurp the roles of the judiciary, he is making a very big mistake.”
Defending the appointments, the state government rebuffed APC’s clams, declaring that the appointments were in line with tradition and chieftaincy laws.
In a statement signed by Kolapo Alimi, the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, the state government maintained that allegations of misconduct, corruption and abuse of power are unfounded and baseless.
