Members of the four recently dissolved statutory commissions in Osun State have filed N2bn suits against Governor Ademola Adeleke before the National Industrial Court in Ibadan, Oyo State.
The governor, on October 30, 2023, announced the dissolution of the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission; Osun State Judicial Service Commission; Osun State Civil Service Commission; and Osun State House of Assembly Service Commission.
New boards were on Monday inaugurated for the commissions.
But members of the dissolved commissions, in four separate suits, contended that they were sacked before the completion of their five-year tenure, which ought to end in 2025.
The four separate suits are each demanding N500m in damages against the governor.
In the suit filed through their counsel, Muhydeen Adeoye, the sacked commission members urged the court to declare the dissolution of the commissions and refusal to pay salaries and other emoluments due to them as illegal.
Apart from the governor, also joined as defendants in the suit were the Osun State Attorney General; the Commissioner for Finance; and the state House of Assembly.
In one of the suits, the sacked OSSIEC Chairman, Segun Oladitan, and six members urged the court to compel the governor to reinstate them to their offices and allow them to serve out their five-year tenure that would end by 2025.
In a similar vein, Babafemi Osunro and four others urged the court to declare dissolution of Osun State Civil Service Commission before 2025, as illegal and demanded reinstatement and payment of N500m damages.
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.
