Adeleke defies court order, suspends Osun chief judge

Ademola Adeleke, governor of Osun, has suspended Oyebola Ojo from office as chief judge of the state.

In a statement on Thursday, Olawale Rasheed, spokesperson to the governor, said Adeleke approved the suspension of  Ojo after the resolution of the state house of assembly.

Rasheed said Adeleke also approved the appointment of Olayinka Afolabi as the new acting chief judge of the state.

Ojo’s suspension is coming despite the order by the national industrial court restraining the governor from removing her from office.

Dele Peters, the presiding judge of an industrial court in Ibadan, Oyo state capital, on Thursday, granted an order restraining Adeleke from suspending the chief judge.

The court also directed the governor to fortify security around Ojo to protect her from all forms of harassment, pending the determination of the suit filed before the court.

Ojo had approached the court with an ex parte motion through her counsel, Oladipo Olasope.

Apart from Adeleke, other defendants in the suit marked NICN/IB/61/2023 filed on Wednesday include the attorney-general of Osun, Osun State Judicial Service Commission and the accountant-general of the state.

“An order of interim injunction is issued restraining the defendants by themselves or their agents or privies howsoever so-called from interfering with removing, reversing or terminating the appointment and conditions of service of the Applicant as the Hon. Chief Judge of Osun State including but not limited to salaries and other pecuniary benefits pending the determination of the interlocutory application,” the judge directed.

“An order is here issued mandatory for the 4th defendants (accountant-general) to continue to pay the salary, entitlements, emoluments and other benefits and money the applicant is entitled to as the Hon. chief judge of Osun state pending the determination of the interlocutory application.

“Taking cognisance of the gender of the Applicant as a wife, a mother and a grandmother, the first defendant as the Chief Security Officer of Osun State with keys to all security apparatus is ordered and directed to ensure adequate protection to the Applicant from all forms of harassment and from all quarters pending the hearing and determination of the originating summons.

“Finally, it is directed that the 2nd Defendant(Attorney-General) as the Chief Law Officer of Osun State will appropriately advise the Defendants in general and the 1st Defendant in particular on the imperative of complying fully with the orders of this Court.”