Politics

{See Letter} Oyo ALGON issues warning to caretaker chairmen, civil servants , banks over LG funds

Published

7 years ago

December 29, 2019

*OPEN LETTER TO THE PURPORTED LOCAL GOVERNMENT CARETAKER CHAIRMEN, BANKERS TO ALL OYO STATE LOCAL GOVERNMENT COUNCILS AND LCDAs, HLAs/DAGs/DFAs/F&GPCs, ALL LOCAL GOVERNMENT COUNCIL STAFF AND ALL OYO STATE CIVIL SERVANTS*

We are compelled to openly issue this letter of caution to the purported Caretaker Chairmen, Bankers to all Oyo state Local Government Councils, LCDAs, Civil Servants in our dear State and all Local Government Staff across our Council Secretariats, to strongly avoid being put under duress by the Oyo State Government to partake in another man’s sin, by not allowing themselves to be used to further and foist what is clearly an illegal and fraudulent administration over our Local Government Councils and LCDAs in Oyo state.

Over the past few months , we had consistently warned the Oyo State Government, and the Governor of Oyo State to respect the rule of law and desist from the path of illegality he was treading and being railroaded onto by politicians who are hellbent on dividing our Local Government Councils and constituencies as their political fiefdoms and their spoils of war.

1. It is no longer news that Governor Seyi Makinde has demonstrated no iota of respect for the rule of law and our courts, hence his serial breaches leading to an illegal appointment of an unlawful contraption called Caretaker Chairmen. We emphatically restate that there is no law in Oyo State creating a Caretaker Chairman’s office over any Local Government Council and LCDAs, hence the recent purported appointments of Caretakers is a flagrant display of irresponsibility, and mere jokes for public grandstanding with no force of law. It is therefore follows that any operation, directives, approvals, disbursements, decision or step taken by such usurpers occupying a nonexistent office can only be tantamount to an attempt to defraud the revenue of the Local Councils and LCDAs for which such persons and their collaborators shall be prosecuted. We expected the State Attorney General would have attempted to publicly rebut our emphatic position if it were legally rebuttable, but clearly rather than offer legal advice to guide the state, the learned professor seems to have outsourced his role as legal adviser to politicians who speak ignorantly on air about what they know nothing of. The management, administration and financing of Local Councils and LCDAs according to the constitution and the Supreme court in cases variously cited and now in the public domain, can only be validly approved, authorized, authenticated by documents executed by elected Local Government Chairmen. No authorization from any Caretaker Chairman of any Local Government Council or LCDA Caretakers nor their appointors is recognized under the current legal regime in our country. Any civil servant, bank or local government staff that honours such illegal approvals, directives or authorization from such persons therefore renders himself/herself liable to criminal prosecution for conspiracy and fraud.

2. We recognize that the Governor continues to act illegally hiding behind a cloak of constitutional immunity, while his political collaborators outside government who may be urging you all to embark on serial illegalities, will not be signatories to any official council document that may incriminate you and form the subject of investigations of this orchestrated fraud on the administration of Councils. Let us be clear that the revenue of our Local Government Councils and LCDAs for wages and emoluments are only payable to legally recognized employment positions and staff of Councils. Caretaker Chairmen are not legally recognized under our laws anymore and therefore are not staff of councils, nor are they entitled to collect any wage, emoluments or allowance from our Councils under any guise . It should be strongly noted that under our jurisprudence ignorance of the law has never been an excuse to criminal culpability. A claim of ignorance, or self imposed duress will not avail anyone of our bankers nor Local Government staff and civil servants who act in defiance of established laws to conspire with usurpers not provided for under any law in our land to rob our councils or pass themselves off as chairmen of offices that are both in law, and to your public knowledge not vacant nor conferred by law on any usurping caretaker. Any voucher signed by or authorized by Caretakers will be tantamount to attempted fraud.

3. As you are aware, the office of Chairmen of our Local Government councils and LCDAs are neither vacant nor available under our constitution for any caretaker to justifiably occupy either in law or fact. Therefore any individual who passes himself or herself off as Caretaker Chairman or seeks to issue directives to Local Government/LCDAs staff or civil servants or our bankers will along with such banker or civil servant, be acting fraudulently and in breach of clear legal pronouncements for which such persons and their stooges shall be prosecuted . Make no mistake about it, an armchair pronouncement of a Governor in a constitutional democracy, and a showmanship swearing in , are unknown to our law as currently constituted. It does not, and cannot by any stretch of political spin or imagination legalize what has been pronounced an illegality by the Supreme Court and the High Court of Oyo State.

4. We remind the Accountant General of Oyo State, the Ministry of Local Government and Council officials across Local Government Councils, that our Joint State/Local government accounts are under the legal regime established by law and the Court judgments, only operatable by the elected local government chairmen whose elections have neither been voided by any court nor by any law. You may wish to refer to the NFIU Guidelines on this. Similarly, we remain approving signatories with the Finance and General Purpose Committees of our Councils over Council funds due to each Council. We equally remain on record with our bankers the confirming signatories for payments out of local government accounts which cannot be changed without recourse to law. It was our valid return as elected Chairmen after contested elections that effectively qualified us in this role. A purportedly dismissive echo of lies by the Governor is empty in law as it is not pursuant to any law, nor in furtherance of any court pronouncement. We can boldly say it under our constitutional democracy that the illegal statements of a Governor does not become law not being legislation nor court order, hence you are not bound by such reckless statements and actions of the Governor that contradicts the law. We are not under military edicts,but under the Constitution sworn to by the Governor himself to defend and protect.
Therefore any document executed, or directed to be executed by the usurping Caretakers shall be illegal and a calculated fraud against the council. Similarly no bank, HLA/DAG/DFA can legally honour the signature of any Caretaker chairman on any confirmations nor disregard our approving signatories as elected chairmen otherwise such civil servant, staff, account officers, bank managers and their collaborators shall be liable for fraud on the revenue of state and criminal breach of trust.

5. If Governor Makinde continues to toe the path of recalcitrance, let him and his co-travellers continues and face whatever the outcome. Again we reemphasize, *DO NOT PARTAKE IN THEIR CRIMES AGAINST THE STATE* as the law does not excuse criminality by reason of ignorance or even duress, under these circumstances.

It is our appeal to you all to depart from the path of illegality being urged upon you, and be courageous to save yourselves from impending culpability if found wanting. This is an appeal, but make no mistake about it, the law will take its course against every infringement and criminality irrespective of who perpetrates it.

We trust you will ponder over these truths, seek legal counsel from your personal attorneys to be properly guided, and ensure you are not sucked into the crucible Governor Makinde has heated up in our state.

*YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!*

Prince Ayodeji Abass-Aleshinloye
ALGON Chairman
Oyo State

Pastor Jesutoye Oluyinka
ALGON Secretary
Oyo State

Politics

Adeleke: I Had No Electoral Deal With ADC

Published

2 weeks ago

August 18, 2026

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OSUN State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has denied having any electoral agreement or partnership with the African Democratic Congress before, during or after the August 15 governorship election.

Adeleke made the clarification on Tuesday in a post on his verified X handle, saying his victory was achieved through the support of God and the people of Osun State.

The governor said the ADC was not part of the political coalition that campaigned and mobilised support for his re-election, describing the group of political allies that worked for his victory as a “rainbow coalition.”

He said, “I had no electoral deal or partnership with the ADC before, during, or after the governorship election.”

Adeleke added that it was important to put the record straight, stressing that the ADC was not part of the coalition that campaigned and mobilised support for his re-election.

“For the sake of history, it is important to clarify that the ADC was never part of the rainbow coalition that canvassed, mobilised, and supported our campaign in the battle leading to last Saturday’s election,” he said.

The governor thanked his political allies for their sacrifices and efforts during the campaign, noting that their commitment contributed to his victory at the poll.

Adeleke, who called for unity after the election, said he remained governor of all Osun residents regardless of their political affiliation, religion or tribe.

“Now that the election is over, I remain the Governor of all Osun people, irrespective of political affiliation, religion, or tribe. My commitment is to unite our people and continue working for the progress and prosperity of Osun State,” he said.

Adeleke defeated the All Progressives Congress candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, and the ADC candidate, Najeem Salaam, in the keenly contested election.

The governor polled 511,067 votes to defeat Oyebamiji, who scored 444,815 votes, while Salaam secured 17,180 votes.

Adeleke won in 19 of the 30 local government areas in the state, while Oyebamiji won the remaining 11.

Politics

Adeleke Reaffirms Tinubu Endorsement After Osun Victory

Published

3 weeks ago

August 16, 2026

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Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke has renewed his endorsement of President Bola Tinubu for a second term in 2027, barely hours after he was declared winner of Saturday’s governorship election.

Adeleke, who secured a second term in office, also commended Tinubu for what he described as his support for a free, fair and credible electoral process.

The governor spoke in Osogbo on Sunday while reacting to his victory, which he dedicated to the people of Osun State.

“At this point, I must deeply appreciate Mr President, His Excellency Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for his strong support for a free and fair election,” Adeleke said.

“Mr President is a son of Osun State. And I hereby reaffirm my earlier endorsement of him for a second term in the 2027 presidential election.”

Adeleke thanked the people of the state for standing by him, saying their resilience and commitment to democracy had helped to produce the outcome of the election.

“In the last few months, Osun people have been under very intense pressure. Today, the issues are settled by the grace of God and the people.

“I therefore dedicate this victory to the good people of Osun State. I deeply appreciate your resilience, your strong will and your unwavering commitment to democracy,” he said.

The governor promised not to disappoint the electorate, saying his administration would build on its achievements and address areas where it had fallen short.

“As you have trusted me again for the second term in office, I will not disappoint you. To serve you better, I will reinforce my strong points and correct my errors,” Adeleke stated.

He also pledged to pursue accelerated development across the state under his renewed five-point agenda.

The Independent National Electoral Commission declared Adeleke the winner of the election in the early hours of Sunday.

The Returning Officer, Prof. Joshua Ogunwole, announced in Osogbo that Adeleke polled 511,067 votes to defeat the All Progressives Congress candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, who scored 444,815 votes.

The candidate of the African Democratic Congress, Najeem Salaam, came third with 17,180 votes.

A total of 1,005,800 votes were cast across the 30 local government areas of the state, while 985,079 votes were declared valid.

INEC said 1,010,684 voters were accredited for the election, which was contested by candidates of 15 political parties.

Adeleke’s victory secures another four-year term for him and further strengthens his political position in Osun ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Politics

Tinubu tasks INEC, security agencies on credible Osun election

Published

3 weeks ago

August 14, 2026

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President Bola Tinubu has charged the Independent National Electoral Commission and security agencies to ensure a peaceful, transparent and credible governorship election in Osun State.

Tinubu made the call in a statement issued on Friday by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, ahead of Saturday’s poll.

The President urged INEC to uphold the integrity of the electoral process and ensure that voters are allowed to freely choose their preferred candidate.

“As the people of Osun State head to the polling units to elect who will govern them in the next four years, I call on the Independent National Electoral Commission to ensure orderly conduct of the election.

“The election must be transparent, free and fair. I urge INEC to ensure the integrity of the process,” he said.

Tinubu also urged the electoral commission to use the Osun election as an opportunity to demonstrate its preparedness for the 2027 general elections.

“INEC must use this last off-cycle election as a test case to demonstrate to Nigerians their full preparedness for the 2027 polls,” the President added.

The President also charged the Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu, and other security chiefs deployed for the election to provide adequate security at polling units and prevent attempts to disrupt the exercise.

“I have charged the Inspector-General of Police and other heads of security outfits taking part in the election to provide maximum security at polling units. No room should be allowed for troublemakers to disrupt the process,” Tinubu said.

He stressed the need to protect voters and electoral officials, urging residents to participate in the election without fear or intimidation.

“Electoral officials and voters must be protected so they can perform their civic duties without fear or intimidation. Voters should feel confident to go out in their numbers to vote for the candidate of their choice, as all measures necessary to ensure a peaceful, free and fair election have been put in place.

“Our elections must be credible, and the outcome of the Osun Governorship election must reflect the will of the people,” he said.

Tinubu further urged voters to exercise their civic responsibility peacefully and avoid actions capable of undermining the conduct of the election.

More than 25,000 security personnel have been deployed across the state for the poll, while INEC has said preparations are on course.

With 15 candidates on the ballot, the election is expected to be keenly contested as voters across the state’s 30 local government areas elect a governor for the next four years.