Osun PDP condemns APC’s petition against Justice Aderibigbe

The ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Osun State has strongly condemned the restless and desperate actions of the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) over a purported petition to the National Judicial Commission (NJC) against Justice Yinka Aderibigbe of the Ilesa Division of the Osun State High Court.

The PDP cautioned those behind this ill-advised move, warning that such actions could destabilise the country.

The party, in a statement by Hon. Hezekiah Oladele Bamiji, its Director of Media, expressed disbelief at the APC’s agitation over a valid court judgment—especially when the APC was not even a party to the suit.

Rather than adopting the civilised option of appeal if they felt aggrieved, the opposition party has chosen to resort to unintelligent threats and harassment of Justice Aderibigbe, the same judge that has delivered several rulings against the PDP in recent memory.

The PDP Media Office described the latest antics of the Osun APC as not only indecent but also a dangerous attempt to manipulate the polity without considering the far-reaching consequences for Nigeria’s stability and democracy.

According to the PDP, the APC’s federal power mongers are sending a disturbing message—that judicial officers in Nigeria are no longer safe, particularly under the leadership of the Chief Justice of Nigeria. Worse still, the APC appears to be suggesting that any matter brought before the judiciary by its members in Osun State should be automatically rubber-stamped, whether meritorious or not.

“It is laughable that the APC would petition the NJC based on suppressed facts. Their disingenuous move is dead on arrival, as they continue to evade the reality that the Appeal Court had already dismissed their challenge—both by themselves and the APM—against the Federal High Court’s nullification of their unconstitutional ‘Yes or No’ chairmen in local government councils.

“Demanding that the NJC overturn a valid ruling delivered on February 21, 2025, by Justice Aderibigbe, which recognised and affirmed the vacancies in Osun local councils or seek to punish the judge for discharging his constitutional responsibility, is a reckless and unconstitutional request. The judgment was based on a prior Appeal Court ruling concerning the Osun LG crisis before the February 22, 2025, local government election, which was brought to the court by way of originating motion by the PDP.”

The PDP insists that asking the NJC to interfere in a settled court judgment is tantamount to rewriting the Nigerian Constitution, the Electoral Act, and the entire legal system—all in a bid to satisfy the angry and power-hungry Osun APC members. If their logic were to be followed, they might as well ask for all judges in Nigeria to be sacked, leaving behind only those considered pliable to their uncontrolled hunger for power.

The PDP called on all well-meaning Nigerians to resist this blatant harassment of the judiciary, warning that such reckless desperation poses a grave danger to democracy and national stability.

The PDP described the APC’s frantic and irrational manoeuvres over a non-existent cause as both insane and bizarre. The opposition party’s desperation has seen it poaching multiple federal agencies in an attempt to force an illegality into Osun State’s governance structure.

“From obtaining a CTC they were not prepared to study and understand, to blatantly ignoring the dismissal of their appeal on the Federal High Court’s nullification of their afterthought ‘Yes or No’ election, the APC has shown a total disregard for due process. Their actions range from hallucinating over supposed statements from the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) to turning the Inspector General of Police into an ultimate authority on election matters.

“Worse still, the APC’s desperation has led them to almost dictate to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), attempting to force the opening of private government accounts for their illegitimate local government chairmen. Now, they seek to reduce the National Judicial Council (NJC) to a mere department under the APC, further exposing their brazen disregard for democracy and institutional independence, all in the lazy honking of federal might.”

The only possible outcome of this reckless overreach is chaos!

The PDP strongly warns all federal agencies being pressured by the APC to remain mindful of their constitutional responsibilities in upholding Nigeria’s unity and the rule of law. Any agency that succumbs to coercion risks not only being branded as wilful accomplices in an illegal plot but also undermining the very fabric of the nation’s stability and existence.

At this critical juncture, federal institutions must resist being dragged into the APC’s political gamble by the certified gamblers, as any misstep could ignite avoidable crises that threaten the nation’s survival.

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