The Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs, Mr Busayo Oluwole Oke, has called on the Osun State Governor, Sen. Ademola Nurudeen Jackson Adeleke, to comply with the Court of Appeal ruling reinstating elected local officials of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state without further delay.

Oke, a representative of Obokun/Oriade Federal Constituency of Osun State, urged Governor Adeleke to stop blackmailing key national figures, including President Bola Ahmed Tinubu; the Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi SAN; Central Bank Governor, Yemi Cardoso, and former Osun Governor and APC leader, Asiwaju Gboyega Oyetola, on the issue.

Oke blamed the Adeleke administration for the ongoing hardship being suffered by local government employees and residents due to what he termed the illegal removal of duly elected APC chairmen, vice chairmen, and councillors.

Oke cited the recent Court of Appeal judgment, which ruled that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSSIEC) had approached the wrong court in their effort to upturn the APC’s local government victories and asserted that the window to appeal the ruling at the Supreme Court had “closed perpetually.”

He said, “One of the reasons I left PDP under your leadership is because you don’t listen to advice. Those people working with you do not mean well for you.”

He revealed that he had personally advised the governor to abide by the appellate court’s decision but was ignored.

“Only an illiterate lawyer will advise you contrary to what the Court of Appeal ruled. What else do you need to hear, sir?” he queried, stressing that the law was clear on the matter and that further delay would only deepen the crisis.

He therefore urged Governor Adeleke to take immediate steps to normalise the situation by directing civil servants under the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) to resume work and collaborate with the reinstated APC officials until the end of their tenure.

He said, “what is left for you to do now is to direct the local government civil servants, NULGE, to go back to work, embrace the APC elected officials, and work together until their tenure ends,” Oke said, adding that OSSIEC should begin the process for fresh elections within 180 days.

However, he warned that should the reinstated officials insist on completing their full three-year mandate, they must be paid their emoluments in full. “In the alternative, they can be paid their emoluments for the three years,” he noted.

Oke expressed sympathy for PDP aspirants who contested in the now-nullified election.

He said, “All the PDP chairmanship aspirants, their vice and councillors spent a fortune to participate in the ill-fated election. Some borrowed owo isobo (soft loans), sold their properties and are now suffering hopelessly. It’s my prayer that they will survive,”

He suggested the governor could cushion their losses by appointing them as Special Advisers (SAs) or Senior Special Assistants (SSAs).

He said, “The people deserve good governance, regardless of party affiliation, both APC and PDP members are citizens of Osun State, and you owe us a duty of care.”

“I come in peace,” Oke concluded, framing his statement as a call for justice, unity, and the restoration of constitutional order in Osun State.