A coalition of Civil Society Organisations, CSOs, and the Osun State government, yesterday, clashed over the alleged attempt by Governor Ademola Adeleke to remove the Chief Judge of the state, Justice Adepele Ojo.

While the CSOs described it as an attempt to plunge the state into crisis, the state government insisted that no public official is immune to accountability.

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

Ayo Ologun, who spoke on behalf of the groups, said the attempt by the Governor to remove the Chief Judge is not only troubling but also condemnable.

Ologun said: “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 Governor Ademola Adeleke to illegally remove the Chief Judge of Osun State, Justice Adebola 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 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 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.”

No public official is immune to accountability — Osun govt

When contacted, the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi said the state government is unaware of any plot against the Chief Judge, but added that no public official is immune to accountability.

Alimi, in a statement, said: “The government also wishes to state that the constitution and the state laws 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 its 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 persistently that those holding social media briefs for the Chief Judge are not doing the Judiciary any good.”