The Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has cautioned the state Right Honourable Adewale Egbedun-led State House of Assembly to desist from its hatred for the traditional rulers in the state through its actions and inactions.
It would be recalled that Egbedun in a press conference few days ago faulted the reinstated APC chairmen for the payment of the backlog of the accumulated salaries of the traditional rulers in the state which was hitherto needlessly caused by the abandonment of work for 11 months by a faction of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees NULGE who were sympathising with the state Governor Ademola Adeleke.
The Speaker of the state House of Assembly among other things saw no reason why the reinstated APC chairmen should prioritise the payment of the accumulated salaries of the monarchs and chiefs in the state which had been delayed for that long by the numerous frivolous and obnoxious litigations set in the motion by Governor Adeleke to thwart the access of the council executives to the federal allocations to the local government councils in the state.
Defending the payment of the accumulated salaries of the monarchs and chiefs few days ago, the state chapter of the Association of Local Government of Nigeria ALGON led by its chairman, Honourable Samuel Abiodun Idowu, stated that the development was in tandem with the policy of the APC not to play politics with the welfare of the traditional rulers who are the custodians of culture in the state.
Idowu who addressed a press conference also vowed that no condition would warrant his party to deliberately subject the traditional rulers and chiefs to avoidable punishment, harassment and victimisation as it is being witnessed under the administration of the embattled Governor Adeleke.
The Osun State ALGON chairman told Egbedun, Adeleke and their cohorts in the government of the state that the reinstated APC chairmen under his watch have no apology for any one in the state for giving the traditional rulers and chiefs their dues in line with the dictate of the 11th July, 2024 Supreme Court judgement which conferred the autonomous status to the running of the local government councils nationwide.
Idowu also recalled the letter and spirit of the 10th February, 2025 judgement of the Court of Appeal in Akure, Ondo State, which expressly reinstated the APC chairmen and councillors and unappealled to date
The APC is not surprised by the untoward attitude of the Governor Adeleke-led administration to the traditional rulers in the state as some of them were the victims of the brazen victimisation and harassment of the governor at the inception of his administration when he unjustifiably sacked no fewer than three of the rulers through an obnoxious and repugnant Executive Order, which the court has reversed.
It is still fresh in the memory of the discerning people of Osun State how Egbedun subjected the traditional ruler of his town, Oba Oyewale Olasunkanmi Issac, His Royal Highness, the Alasi of Asi in the Odo-Otin Local Government Council Area of Osun State, to ridicule, harassment, attack and threat to life over a minor misunderstanding between the duo.
It would be recalled that a leaked telephone conversation lasting about three minutes, between Speaker Egbedun and a family member of the monarch, has gone viral on social media. In the audio, the Speaker, speaking in Yoruba, was heard hurling insults at the traditional ruler and threatening physical assault should the monarch attempt to enter his domain.
In the recording, the Speaker reportedly said: “This is Speaker Egbedun on the line. I want you to tell him, it seems the king is cursed. I was attacked, and he was talking rubbish. I’ve been avoiding him. If he comes to Asi, I’ll make sure he is beaten, his crown removed, and he is sent to Ilesa. If he is near you, let him hear this. What is my offence? He keeps disrespecting me and I’ve kept quiet. If he values his life, he should not come to Asi today.”
The Speaker who is dragging his monarch in the mud cannot have any iota of respect or consideration for the entirety of the monarchs in the state which could only be the reason Egbedun faulted the accumulated salary payment for the state traditional rulers by the reinstated APC chairmen.
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