A human rights organisation, Centre for Human Rights and Social Justice (CHRSJ), has applauded Osun State Governor, Senator Nurudeen Ademola Adeleke, for obeying the court judgement on the reversal of the state’s name from ‘State of Osun’ to ‘Osun State’ so as to be on the same page with the other states of the Federation as enshrined in the amended 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The rights group also commended Governor Adeleke for implenting last Thursday’s judgement of the Federal High Court, Osogbo Judicial Division, which nulified the October 15, 2022 Local Government election conducted by the State Independent Electoral Commission (OSSIEC) in flagrant disobedience to court order.
The Federal High Court on Thursday, declared that the said local election was conducted contrary to the constitutional provisions in the Electoral Act 2022.
In a signed statement CHRSJ’s Executive Chairman,Comrade Adeniyi Alimi Sulaiman, on Tuesday, enjoined Governor Adeleke to continue with the respect for the Rule of Law and due process of law so as to make his government the toast of all and sundry.
He urged the new helmsman of the state not to derail from the total obedience to the Rule of Law vis a vis the amended 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which he swore to uphold at all times, during his first four years tenure of office.
Comrade Sulaiman, who declared that Governor Adeleke had laid a solid foundation for promotion of good governance to thrive in the state, advised the state Governor not to derail from the good act of respect for the Rule of Law.
The statement read, “Governor Ademola Adeleke has laid a good foundation for democracy to grow in the State because respect for the Rule of Law and obedience to Court pronouncements are necessary ingredients to the growth of democracy in any sane society. So,Governor Adeleke had set a good examples for deepening of our growing democratic experiment.”
It will be recalled that Governor Adeleke on Sunday, while speaking immediately after he took the mantle of leadership as the 6th Executive Governor of Osun State, ordered immediate reversal of the appellation “State of Osun” to the constitutionally recognised Osun State by implementing the judgement of the Osun State High Court.
He has also implemented the judgement of the Federal High Court nullifying the Local Government election conducted by the State Independent Electoral Commission (OSSIEC).
Sulaiman, therefore, called on Governor Adeleke to extend the implementation of the judgement to the earlier Appeal Court Judgement on Alawo of Awo Chieftaincy Stool delivered on 8th of August, 2022, which the immediate past Government of Gboyega Oyetola refused to implement for political reasons, in order to justify Adeleke’s position on the respect for the Rule of Law and obedience to court pronouncements.