By Comfort Olayinka
A civil society group, Osun Democrats for Democracy, has taken a strong stance against the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Lateef Fagbemi, accusing him of overstepping his bounds in the ongoing Osun Local Government crisis.
The group criticized Fagbemi for assuming the role of a court, insisting that only a court of law has the authority to stop elections or interpret court rulings.
In a statement issued by the group’s Legal Adviser, Adewale Fowora, the Osun Democrats argued that Fagbemi, a former lawyer to ex-Osun Governor and current Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Gboyega Oyetola, has a clear conflict of interest and should recuse himself from commenting on the matter.
“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 statement read.
The group further criticized Fagbemi for supporting self-help actions, noting that only a court of law can clarify or enforce a judgment.
They emphasized that the AGF’s comments lacked legal foundation and called on the Osun State government to proceed with the elections scheduled for Saturday.
“AGF is not the court, and he cannot exercise the powers of the court,” the group concluded, urging legal procedures to take their course in resolving the ongoing crisis.
