- Safiu Kehinde
The Osun State Chapter of the All Progressive Congress (APC) has slammed Arise TV presenter, Reuben Abati, over his criticism of the party over the state’s local government allocation withheld by the Federal Government.
Abati was accused by the party of using the Arise TV’s The Morning Show programme in engaging in professional terrorism against the APC.
This allegation was contained in a statement issued on Monday by the Osun APC Director of Media and Information, Mogaji Kola Olabisi.
While condemning Abati over his criticisms of the APC over the withheld LG allocation, Olabisi held that the former Ogun State Deputy Governorship aspirant has no idea about the subject matter.
Olabisi charged Abati to stop staking his integrity for attraction as he questioned the Arise TV Presenter’s refusal to acknowledge of the court ruling which reinstated the APC council chairmen.
“It is quite worrisome that the former deputy governorship aspirant under the PDP with a supposed knowledge of the law of the land could hide under a television tube to frivolously engage in flagrant abuse of privilege by constituting himself into a court of law where he could comment on a raging suit.
“The efforts of Abati on the delayed payment of the Osun State local government councils’ federal allocations expressly revealed that the television presenter knows next to nothing about the subject matter which earned him the instant status of a meddlesome interloper.
“The fulcrum of the schism over the tussle in the payment of the federal allocations to the Osun State local government councils is the Court of Appeal judgement of the 10th of February, 2025 which expressly reinstated the APC council chairmen and councillors with all the reliefs sought allowed by the Court.
“Was it an oversight or lack of knowledge for ‘Justice’ Abati to have failed to reference the immortal Court of Appeal judgement of the 10th of February, 2025 which he was ridiculously countering with the subsequent mere obiter dicta cited by the subsequent Court of Appeal ruling of 13th June, 2025 which could not, in any way, impeach the earlier judgment of the Court of Appeal?
“Why didn’t Abati query the refusal of Governor Ademola Adeleke to approach the Supreme Court to appeal the decision of the Court of Appeal that reinstated the APC local government council chairmen and councillors if they, indeed, have a sufficient ground to so do convincingly?
“Is Abati sufficiently informed that the state chapter of the National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) has been on a sympathy strike induced by Governor Adeleke for seven months running?
“Does it not sound strange and ludicrous for a governor to be organising, promoting and financing a protest and strike against his own administration as it is being witnessed with utmost disdain in Osun State under the apparently wobbled, confused and directionless government of the day in the state?
“Should the people of the state encompassing the young, the oldies, the chiefs, the Kabiyesis and all and sundry be made to continue suffering because the governor has formed an unholy alliance with the NULGE, directing them to stay away from the local government council secretariats across the state with a view to preventing the APC council chairmen and councillors from enjoying the benefit of the judgement of the 10th February, 2025 of the Court of Appeal, Akure Division?
“We make bold to observe and conclude that the Abati comment on the Arise Television concerning the debacle on the Osun State Local government councils’ allocations was far from being charitable and it is hereby condemned on the basis of its biased posture.
“Abati and his cohorts should desist from playing the role of a policeman for the people of this country as the former Ogun State PDP deputy governorship aspirant’s known political leaning has not only soiled him but exposed him for what he is, where he’s going and coming back from which is the more reason why he should disqualify himself from the suspected hatchet job.
“It was surprising that Abati could shore up his slanting remark on the Osun State local government federal allocations with the already condemned submissions of some apparently hired human rights bodies, (dis)organized trade unions and traditional institutions which are not known to be a replacement for the court of law.
“It would profit Abati the more if he could cease staking his integrity in all ramifications, for what might be the attraction, in the interest of his placement in history as human beings unwittingly write history every day.
“It would be less dignifying for him, with his attainment in life, to tie proverbial grains of corn round his waist thereby ridiculously subjecting himself to a play mate of metaphorical fowls.” The statement partly read.
The APC further challenged Abati over his silence during the alleged attack and murder of the party’s members by the PDP.
It also accused the Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, of deliberately orchestrating the strike by the National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE).
“As if the nauseating intervention of Abati on the Osun local government councils’ allocations was not enough, it was stranger than fiction seeing the former Ogun State deputy governorship aspirant tasking the Supreme Court on what to do on the raging issue which is already in the apex court of the land.
“Where was the voice of ‘Justice’ Abati when the PDP hoodlums murdered in broad daylight Honourable Remi Abass, the reinstated APC chairman of Irewole Local Government Council Area of Osun State and our other five members and supporters during the desperation of the illegal PDP chairmen to force their ways into the councils?
“Abati and his ilk should be abreast of the fact that it is a fallacious narrative that the Federal Government or any of its agencies is responsible for the delay in the payment of the due federal allocations to the local government council areas in Osun State.
Governor Adeleke who has been keeping the NULGE outside the four walls of the local government councils for seven months’ running has largely been responsible for the non-payment of the federal allocations as since the reinstated APC chairmen had reported at their duty posts in the various local government councils, the state governor has been aiding and abetting the striking NULGE.” The statement added.