Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun has vowed that the local government elections in the state will proceed as scheduled. He made this statement in reaction to the advice given by Lateef Fagbemi, the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice.
In a statement released on Thursday, the AGF indicated that the court had correctly reinstated Local Government Chairmen elected during the administration of former Governor Gboyega Oyetola but was removed by an Executive Order from the current governor.
Fagbemi stated that holding local government elections in Osun before October would be unlawful, as that is when the terms of the chairmen and councillors elected under the APC would conclude.
However, in a statement from Olawale Rasheed, spokesperson for Adeleke, the governor emphasised that the state’s residents were prepared and that there would be no reversal of the decision.
“I welcome you all to Osun state. Our people are prepared for elections tomorrow. They yearn to have their choices as chairmen and councillors. OSSIEC has also done marvellous preparatory job according to reports at my disposal. Several political parties are participating and I believe there will be a level-playing ground for all to test their popularity with the masses,” the governor told the visiting election monitors.
Regarding the election dispute, the governor said that democracy operates according to the rule of law and that no one has the right to take on the role of the courts.
