The Osun State Government has denied reports that Governor Ademola Adeleke has appointed an acting Chief Judge after sacking the substantive Chief Judge, Oyebola Adepele Ojo.
The state government also clarified that Adeleke only forwarded the resolution of the House of Assembly and recommendation for an acting appointment to the Chief Justice of Nigeria for decision and action.
A section of the media reported that the state government had sacked the Osun State Chief Judge, Oyebola Adepele Ojo.
It also maintained that it took the step based on the resolution of the Osun State House of Assembly.
The Osun State House of Assembly had alleged many petitions against Justice Ojo warranted her to appear before it.
Pending her appearance before the House, she was asked to step down, and Justice David Olayinka Afolabi was appointed in acting position.
The state government gave this clarification in a statement signed by the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Oluomo, on Sunday in Osogbo.
“With all sense of responsibility, it is important to set the records straight that Governor Adeleke has only duly notified the Chief Justice as the Chairman of the National Judicial Council (NJC) in writing about the resolutions of the House of Assembly following a series of petitions made against the sitting Chief Judge of Osun State.
“In the communication, Mr Governor intimated to the CJN of the recommendation of the House that the Chief Judge should step aside and included his own submission for an acting appointment to fill the vacuum while the NJC reviews and decides on the petition.
“To that end, the Governor, in the same letter, recommended to the CJN the appointment of the most senior judicial officer, Hon.Justice Olayinka David Afolabi for thorough consideration and further processing by the same NJC through the CJN,” the statement read.
The government urged members of the public to note that while the House of Assembly recommended the appointment of a replacement to the Governor in its resolution, he, however, toed the line of law by writing the CJN on the entire development and submitting all materials for NJC as mandated national agency.
“We therefore wish to state categorically that Governor Adeleke has not appointed any judicial official as Acting Chief Judge, and nobody has been sworn in as Acting Chief Judge of Osun state.
“Governor Adeleke is a man of due process and rule of law with a deep level of respect for the bar and the bench, the NJC and the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“We assure the public that Mr Governor is fully aware of the limit of his powers as well as the responsibilities of the various agencies of government and will therefore not act in any way to violate the constitution and the rule of law,” it added.
