Hurricane Adeleke

Freshly-installed Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke took the reins early last week in a gale of controversy. The new ‘sheriff’, who emerged through the 16th July governorship poll on Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ticket, stepped in with a bullish swagger to reset all settings by his predecessor, former Governor Gboyega Oyetola of All Progressives Congress (APC). There had been no love lost between them. So, it was expected to be a rocky takeover and it proved to be one. 

At his inauguration on Sunday, 27th November, Adeleke froze all Osun accounts in banks and financial institutions. That was anticipated as a standard tack of any incoming administration to forestall a run on state funds by persons taking advantage of momentary flux in leadership, and it would indeed have been curious if not applied. The new governor also reverted the name of the state from ‘State of Osun’ adopted by preceding administrations to ‘Osun State’ as cited in the Nigerian Constitution, and its appellation from “The State of the Virtues” to ‘The State of the Living Spring” as originally designated. He also discarded the anthem, flag and other insignias of the state adopted by past administrations dating back from the time of former Governor Rauf Aregbesola. On the morning after the inauguration address, though, the Osun house of assembly tackled Adeleke on those changes, arguing that the name, anthem, crest and flag of the state were enactments of a law assented to on 18th December, 2012 and could not be dumped by whim.

Also at the inauguration, the new governor served notice of his intention to review employments, promotions, upgrades and chieftaincy appointments made by the Oyetola administration from 17th July when he – Adeleke – was declared winner of the Osun governorship poll by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Three days to his exit, Oyetola had appointed 30 permanent secretaries who Adeleke warned would be booted out along with the old administration upon his assumption of power. He did as he forewarned by dismissing those permanent secretaries on his very first day in office. There were other fait accomplis the Oyetola administration foisted on the new one, which Adeleke moved to redress. On 15th October, the old administration conducted a local government election that was swept by the APC – inevitably so because the PDP and other political parties boycotted, and the ballot paper had ‘yes’ or ‘no’ options for voters rather than the standard options of candidates of different parties to choose from. The former governor swore in the chairmen and councilors who emerged from that controversial poll the day after. The PDP headed to court and the Federal High Court in Osogbo, the state capital, on 25th November nullified the council poll, saying its conduct contravened Sections 29 and 32 of the Electoral (Amendment) Act, 2022. The APC made clear it was appealing that verdict. Upon being sworn into office, however, Adeleke directed career heads to take control of the councils from the sacked chairmen and councilors.  But the state assembly has again stepped in, saying since the judgement annulling the council poll was being appealed, the elected officials should be allowed to continue in office pending judicial resolution of the matter.

Other persons the new governor wielded the hammer against include workers employed into Osun State civil service after 17th July, for whom he had argued the past administration made no budgetary provision and whose employment he declared “hereby nullified:” the chairman and commissioners of the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSIEC), against whom he said there were “several petitions bordering on financial impropriety, dereliction of duty, absenteeism and abuse of office,” but whose real crime may be the conduct of the controversial 15th October council poll; and traditional rulers tapped by the Oyetola administration post-17th July, in particular the Akinrun of Ikinrun, Aree of Ire and Owa of Igbajo whose appointments he ordered to be “put on hold pending review” and their palaces vacated and taken over by security agents. On the morning after his inauguration, Adeleke signed six executive orders to give legal effect to his sweepstorm, including Executive Order 6 by which he directed the setting up of various review committees relating to the embattled people-groups. 

“The rocky transition in Osun is a function of power absolutism on the part of both the former Oyetola administration and the new Adeleke administration.”

Following public outcry over the sacking of workers and dethronement of monarchs, the new administration has recanted somewhat, saying the measures were only in principle and contingent on reviews to be carried out to ascertain due process. “There was never a sack of any worker or traditional ruler. We only set up review panels. It is impossible to sack and put a review panel in place. The review panel is to look at the numbers of the people that were employed, due processes of the employment and qualification, among other things,” Adeleke’s spokesman Olawale Rasheed said inter alia on a radio programme later last week. Opposition APC, however, described Adeleke’s setting up of review panels as an afterthought designed to arrive at predetermined outcomes. Osun State APC Director of Operations, Sunday Akere, said in a statement: “They had told us long time ago that they were coming to sack. They came and announced it. Why set up a panel after taking a decision? What they are doing can be likened to doing ablution after observing prayers. Who does that?”

The rocky transition in Osun is a function of power absolutism on the part of both the former Oyetola administration and the new Adeleke administration. It is the same you would find everywhere there is disrespect for electoral verdicts, whether it be in the United States of ex-President Donald Trump or in President Jair Bolsonaro’s Brazil. Elections are supposed to indicate preferences of voters. Of course, they often get rigged and the verdicts could – and in many cases should – be challenged. But even while that is being done, the principle of submission to the will of the electorate ought to be honoured; which is where smooth transition has a place if there is to be a change of baton between rival parties / candidates. Wherever and whenever that principle isn’t honoured, you can’t avoid a rocky takeover.

In Osun State, the interval between the 16th July governorship election and 27th November changeover date was when the principle of the supremacy of voters ought to have found expression in mutual understanding of all state processes between outgoing Governor Oyetola and incoming Governor Adeleke – at least, pending a review of the poll outcome by the judiciary. The new governor has carried on since his inauguration as if 17th July when INEC announced him as winner was the terminal date of the Oyetola administration, whereas the administration’s tenure lasted effectively till 12 midnight on 26th November. But then, the former governor should have honoured the poll verdict – until reviewed, if reviewed – by taking Adeleke into confidence on all policy measures taken since 17th July. It is difficult, for instance, to understand the rationale for the Oyetola administration staging a one-party council poll barely six weeks to the end of its tenure, or for swearing in 30 permanent secretaries three days before its exit without consultation whatsoever with the succeeding administration. Same goes for employments and appointments made in the Oyetola administration’s dying days. Such headlong rash of measures gave resonance to the allegation of booby traps being set for the incoming administration.

Still, Governor Adeleke must recognise that his tenure began on 27th November and not before, hence delimiting the functions of the former administration with the day the poll verdict was announced is wrong. For employments and appointments made by the Oyetola administration, the test should be a needs assessment by the Adeleke administration – that is, whether there were genuinely available positions that were filled and whether appointees / employees genuinely qualified to fill the positions. Meanwhile, the sack of OSIEC chair and commissioners is irremediably highhanded and unjustifiably vindictive, and should be reconsidered. By the very nature of their mandate, those commissioners are neutral and couldn’t have declined to conduct an election called by then incumbent administration. Besides, the new governor must appreciate that he has a house of assembly dominated by APC (23), as against PDP (3), to work with. He can’t afford to draw partisan lines in the sand if he hopes for smooth operation of his administration.