Osun State governor, Ademola Adeleke has raised the alarm that Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Gboyega Oyetola, was planning to foment crisis in the state from Monday, February 17, 2025.
Adeleke made the allegation during a press conference on Sunday, apparently in response to reports that Oyetola is spearheading moves to enforce a court order which nullied Adeleke’s removal of local council chairmen elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the state.
Adeleke alleged that Oyetola is conspiring with law enforcement agencies, including the State Commissioner of Police and the State Director of the Department of State Services, DSS, to destabilize the state.
Adeleke said: “I called this press conference to alert the national and global audience about a deliberate plot to create chaos and anarchy in Osun State.
“I invite you all to expose a fascist anti-democratic agenda designed to enforce a non-existing court judgment on our local governments.
“This evil plot is being spearheaded by the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Mr Gboyega Oyetola in active collaboration with the Osun state Commissioner of Police, the Osun state Director of DSS and the State Commandant of the Civil Defense Corps.
“Before I continue this address, let me affirm that I know Mr. President to be a true democrat, a lover of rule of law, and a believer in the sanctity of the judicial process.
“I know, as a matter of fact, that Mr. President will never authorise a dictatorial violation of the constitution irrespective of who is involved. It is crucial to add that Mr. President will never support any action that is capable of generating bloodbath and bloodshed.
“I, however, regret to inform Mr. President and the public that Mr Gboyega Oyetola has concluded an arrangement to cause mayhem in Osun State starting from Monday.
“He is issuing illegal directives to security operatives to enforce illegality simply because he is the nephew of Mr. President.
“I chose to alert the nation before my people are killed or maimed by a minister dropping the name of Mr. President in connivance with the Osun State security operatives obeying unlawful orders.
“The bone of contention is the brazen effrontery to return to office council chairmen sacked by a subsisting court judgment using a different court decision, which has no consequential order.
“Let me make it clear that the said council chairmen were sacked before I was sworn in as governor of Osun State, contrary to the lies being peddled, that the chairmen and councilors were sacked by my Executive Order”.
Oyetola is for rule of law
Former Osun State Governor and Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, however dismissed the allegation that he was plotting to destabilize Osun State, saying his antecedents, pedigree and track records of public service in the last 15 years do not support the claim by Governor Ademola Adeleke.
Similarly, the former governor has appealed to his successor to respect the Appeal Court judgement, rather than resorting to cheap blackmail, which has no place in law.
In a statement by the Media Office of the minister, a copy of which was made available to journalists on Sunday, the statement described Oyetola as a man of peace who has tremendous respect for the judiciary, rule of law and constituted authority, as such would never be party to any breakdown of law and order.
“For the four years he governed Osun, he gave a good account of himself as a man of peace, a respecter of rule of law and one not given to violence. If he is given to violence, he would certainly have fought back violently in 2022 when he was brazenly rigged out.
“Again, in 2022, when Governor Ademola Adeleke employed extra-judicial means to sack democratically elected council officials, Oyetola as the leader of party, he never preached violence. Instead, he led the party members to court.
“Thankfully, his party won at the Appeal last week. And as peace-loving leader, he appealed to security agencies to enforce the judgement of the court. How can such a man be accused of a destabilisation plot? I think anyone accusing Oyetola of violence needs to have his/her head properly examined.
“The minister is further seizing this opportunity to appeal to his successor to respect the Appeal Court judgement, rather than resorting to cheap blackmail, which has no place in law,” the statement reads in part.
