The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Osun State has called out the Attorney General and Minister of Justice of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi over alleged abuse of office and high handedness.
The party also revealed that the actions of Fagbemi in regards to the seizure of allocations to the state was dangerous erosion of the doctrine of separation of power.
It called on President Bola Tinubu, to rein in Fagbemi and remind him that no one is above the law.
In a statement by Olaleke Bamiji, the Osun PDP Media Director on Monday, the party protested the interference in the obstruction of local government councils, describing it as politically motivated.
The statement reads, “The act, ex facie, is not only ultra vires but also a subversion of the rule of law. Nemo judex in causa sua-no one should be a judge in his own cause. Mr Fagbemi, having previously served as lead counsel to Mr. Gboyega Oyetola, a principal actor in Osun APC, ought to recuse himself from any matter directly or indirectly affecting the political ecosystem of the State, and allow the law courts to decide as appropriate.”
The party accused Fagbemi of employing the instrument of his office to bring disrepute to the impartiality expected of the nation’s Chief Law Officer.
The party said, “The recent directive, lacking any known judicial backing, which halted the disbursement of funds to democratically elected local governments in Osun State, is a clear affront to constitutionalism and the principles of audi alteram partem-the right to a fair hearing.
“No court has issued any pronouncement to warrant such fiscal strangulation. This is not only an illegality but a calculated attempt to undermine good governance in Osun State.”
The party called on Fagbemi to rise above personal and partisan considerations, and act as the guardian of justice and fairness for all Nigerians, regardless of party affiliation.
It also recalled that the warning Fagbemi gave the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission, OSSIEC, against conducting local government elections lacked credibility.
Reacting to the statement, however, the Osun State All Progressives Congress, APC, called on the members of the public to ignore the PDP over the seized local government allocations.
In a statement by Kola Olabisi, the Director of Media and Information on Monday, the Osun APC said the Ademola Adeleke-led PDP government was so desperate that it had subjected millions of people at the grassroots to avoidable hardship.
It said, “The PDP government is so desperate that it has subjected millions of people at the grassroots to avoidable hardship by ensuring that workers at this level don’t go to work since 16th February 2025 all in quest to frustrate the APC from reaping the fruits of her success from court.
“One fact the PDP-led government continuously fails to realize is that the law is not made for it alone. It is not a respecter of anybody. That the PDP could claim the AGF is biased just because he represented former Governor Adegboyega Oyetola now Minister of Marine and Blue Economy at the election petition shows the extent of how low the party and its government is on competence and capability to lead any organized society.”
The Osun APC also accused the ruling party of making fruitless efforts at blackmail.
The statement reads, “It is sad that a government that has a sacred duty of upholding the rule of law and sanctity of democratic principles is one resorting to petty blackmail and press bullying to twist the law in its favour.
“To set the record straight, the PDP-led government, which is trying to play a victim card in a decoy to manipulate the facts, has instituted in court over seven lawsuits to seek by subterfuge reliefs to overrule the Court of Appeal judgment.
“The whole world was surprised to hear that the same party has also approached the Supreme Court over the same deceit designed to rubbish the judgment.”
The party praised the Federal Government for its decision to withhold the local government allocations to the state stating, “The Federal Government deserves commendation over its stand with the rule of law as opposed to the rule of lobby which the PDP-led government has been doing.”
DAILY POST gathered that the Osun State Government had approached the Supreme Court to intervene in the seized local government allocation.
Administration at the local government had been at the centre of a power tussle between the Osun APC and PDP.
While the PDP is claiming that its candidates won the February 22, 2025 local government polls, the Osun APC is also claiming that the Appeal Court sitting in Akure has re-instated its council officials who won the October 15, 2022 local government election organised in the twilight of the Adegboyega Oyetola administration.
