Olatunbosun Oyintiloye, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has urged the National Judicial Council (NJC) to investigate Justice A.A. Aderibigbe of the Osun High Court for issuing an order recognizing vacancies in local government areas.
Speaking in Osogbo on Monday, Oyintiloye, a former lawmaker, criticized the ruling, which was delivered on February 21.
The judgment granted the Osun State government the go-ahead to conduct local government elections on February 22.
Additionally, the court acknowledged vacancies in all 30 LGAs and directed the State Independent Electoral Commission to fill them through elections.
However, this order contradicted legal advice given by the Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, on February 20.
Fagbemi had cautioned Governor Ademola Adeleke against proceeding with the polls, advising compliance with an earlier Court of Appeal ruling. That ruling, issued by the Akure Division, reinstated chairpersons and councillors who were removed in 2022 by Adeleke’s administration.
Describing the ruling as unusual, Oyintiloye argued that it disregarded a valid decision from a superior court.
“I urge the NJC to investigate Justice Aderibigbe for delivering a judgment on February 21 that recognized vacancies in Osun LGAs, despite a Court of Appeal ruling reinstating the elected chairmen and councillors removed after the October 15, 2022 election,” he stated.
He further noted that the police had advised the Osun State government to suspend the election, citing intelligence reports of potential security threats.
Oyintiloye emphasized the need for the NJC to scrutinize Aderibigbe’s ruling to uphold judicial integrity, adding that the decision raised concerns about adherence to judicial hierarchy, which the council must address.