CSOs warn Adeleke against plot to remove CJ

A coalition of Civil Society Organization in Osun has charged Governor Ademola Adeleke to stay away from the alleged attempt to illegally remove the State Chief Judge, Justice Adepele Ojo from office, describing it as an attempt to plunge the state into crisis.

The Civil Societies Organisation, comprising of Transparency and Accountability Group, TAG, Committee for Defence of Human Rights, CDHR, Dialogue 360 and Osun Civil Societies Coalition.

Speaking on behalf of the groups on Wednesday Ayo Ologun, said attempts by the Governor to remove the Chief Judge Ojo is not only troubling but also condemnable.

“The coalition of civil society groups committed to upholding the principles of justice, transparency, and the rule of law, strongly condemns the recent attempt by the Osun State Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke, to illegally remove the Chief Judge of Osun State, Honorable Justice Adebola Adepele Ojo. This move is particularly troubling as it appears to be a reprisal against the Chief Judge for her principled stand against attempts to manipulate the judiciary in the state.

“The independence of the judiciary is a cornerstone of any democratic society, and any attempt to undermine or interfere with the judiciary compromises the very foundation of the rule of law.

“The Chief Judge, in her capacity, has a constitutional duty to uphold justice and ensure the fair and impartial administration of the law. Her commitment to these principles should be celebrated, not met with attempts at removal for political reasons.

“We hereby call on Governor Ademola Adeleke to respect the independence of the judiciary and immediately cease any attempts to remove the Chief Judge based on her principled stance. The judiciary must be allowed to operate without fear of reprisal or political interference, ensuring that justice is served impartially and without bias”, he said.

Reacting through a statement, the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi said the state government is unaware of any plot against the State Chief Judge, but added that no public official is immune to accountability process.

The statement reads: “The State Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke and his team are preoccupied with delivering on good governance to the citizenry with no time for diversionary conducts.

"The government also wishes to state that the constitution and the state laws clearly spell out responsibilities of state officials.

"The same laws lay out rules for accountability and transparency across government sectors.

"The Governor and all government officials whether elected or appointed into any arm of government are not immune from the accountability process.

"The Governor is therefore not in a position to stop the legislature from doing her statutory job and neither can the Governor hamstring the judiciary in the performance of its duties."

"The Governor is however committed to supporting all arms of government to operate within the ambit of the law and constitution.

We have stated it persistently that those holding social media briefs for the Chief Judge are not doing the Judiciary any good.

“The sponsored civil society groups that failed to acknowledge the good that the Adeleke-led Administration is doing for the Judiciary are those running sponsored lies against the present administration in Osun.”

“It is from the above premise that the state government was taken aback by the allegations from the coalition of civil society groups.”

We urge the public to take note that the Governor will not be involved in anything against the law, due process and constitution of the Republic of Nigeria.