By Our Reporter
ABUJA (PRECISE POST) – A civil society group, Osun Democrats for Democracy, has sharply criticized the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Lateef Fagbemi, for what it calls his attempt to assume the role of a court in the ongoing Osun Local Government crisis. The group condemned Fagbemi for interfering in the matter, stating that he is not authorized to stop elections or interpret court rulings.
In a statement issued Thursday, the group, through its Legal Adviser, Adewale Fowora, argued that Fagbemi’s prior legal representation of former Osun State Governor Gboyega Oyetola makes him an interested party in the dispute and should, therefore, recuse himself from commenting on the issue. The group expressed shock at Fagbemi’s involvement, noting that his position as Chief Law Officer of the Federation should not align him with political matters where he has a clear bias.
“We were shocked that a supposed Chief Law Officer of the Federation has decided to speak on matters on which he is an interested party as a lawyer to Mr. Gboyega Oyetola and from which he should have recused himself,” the group said. “He is not only a biased assessor but has no power to stop an election nor clarify a court judgment.”
The group emphasized that only a court of law has the authority to halt an election, and it is the court’s responsibility to interpret its own rulings when disputes arise over their meaning. Fagbemi’s suggestion of “self-help,” according to the group, undermines the legal system and disregards established procedures for enforcing court judgments.
Further concerns were raised over Fagbemi’s apparent neglect of the APP ruling, which invalidated APC council aspirants, stating that the AGF failed to address this matter despite its relevance to the crisis. The group also questioned the accuracy of the information provided to Fagbemi’s office and urged the AGF to seek verification from the originating courts instead of backing actions that contradict the law.
In conclusion, Osun Democrats for Democracy called on the state government to proceed with the local government elections scheduled for Saturday, labeling the AGF’s statement as a politically motivated move with no legal basis.
“AGF is not the court, and he cannot exercise the powers of the court,” the group insisted.
