Governor Ademola Adeleke is the target of N2 billion lawsuits brought by members of Osun State’s four recently dissolved statutory commissions before the National Industrial Court in Ibadan, Oyo State.
According to The PUNCH, the governor declared the dissolution of the Osun State House of Assembly Service Commission, Osun State Judicial Service Commission, Osun State Civil Service Commission, and Osun State Independent Electoral Commission on October 30, 2023.
On Monday, the commissions inaugurated their new boards.
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However, in four different lawsuits, members of the dissolved commissions said that they were fired before their five-year term, which was supposed to expire in 2025, could finish.
The governor is the target of four distinct lawsuits, each seeking N500 million in damages.
The dismissed commission members asked the court to rule that the dissolution of the commissions and the refusal to pay wages and other emoluments owed to them were unlawful in the lawsuit they filed through their attorney, Muhydeen Adeoye.
In addition to the governor, the state House of Assembly, the Commissioner for Finance, and the Attorney General of Osun State were named as defendants in the lawsuit.
Segun Oladitan, the ousted chairman of the OSSIEC, and six other members petitioned the court in one of the suits to force the governor to restore them to their positions and let them complete their five-year term, which ends in 2025.
In a same spirit, Babafemi Osunro and four other parties asked the court to declare the Osun State Civil Service Commission’s dissolution as unlawful before 2025 and requested that N500 million in damages be paid as well as reinstatement.
In their suit, Awolola Abiodun and six others challenged the dissolution of the Osun House of Assembly Service Commission, while Adebayo Salmon and three others asked the court to nullify the order of the governor sacking them as members of the Osun State Judicial Service Commission. The claimants’ counsel, Adeoye, told our correspondent that all the parties had been served, adding that they were waiting for the court to pick the hearing date.