By Nobert Young
Counsel to Osun State Independent Electoral Commission and Osun Governor, Ademola Adeleke, Mr. Musbau Adetunbi (SAN) could not stop the suit instituted by the candidates of the All Progressives Congress against the planned February 22, 2025 local government elections in the state.
An Osun State High Court sitting in Ile-Ife had earlier adjourned hearing of the pending applications on the suit challenging the conduct of the February 22 local government elections in the state, until January 17, 2025.
The suit, filed by the All Progressives Congress and 19 disqualified candidates, is against the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission, Governor Ademola Adeleke, and the State Attorney General.
The plaintiffs are seeking to halt the elections, citing irregularities and unjustified exclusion from the poll by OSSIEC.
On the prompting of the OSSIEC counsel, the parties had resolved to meet and work on out of court settlement to avert dangers threatening the proposed polls.
But when the parties return to court, Adetunbi, had informed Justice Adedapo Adeniji, that APC and its candidates, had refused the defendants’ out of court settlement proposal offered them.
But counsel to APC candidates, Muhydeen Adeoye, said the plaintiffs had been unjustly excluded and prevented from campaigning ahead of the elections, insisting that to right the wrong, the matter must proceed to trial.
Justice Adeniji subsequently adjourned the matter till February 12, about ten days before the date for the local government elections for the commencement of trial.
Meanwhile, agents of the state governor had resolved to press ahead with the poll, using social media to demonise those behind the suit.
“After considering dangers in discontinuing the process of the elections, we have resolved to use campaign of calumny on the social media, especially to harass those who filed the suit. There is panic in the system already.
“If you observe closely, we started that (the campaign) since last Saturday. It is obvious, APC is planning to rubbish Adeleke and the LG poll. Since they have rejected our out of court settlement proposal, the next plan is to turn members of the public against them using blackmail,” an aide to Adeleke had said during an informal interview.