By John Dike, Osogbo
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State has come out strongly against veteran journalist and Arise TV anchor, Dr. Reuben Abati, accusing him of bias and “professional terrorism” over his recent commentary on the lingering dispute surrounding federal allocations to local governments in Osun State.
In a statement signed by Mogaji Kola Olabisi, Director of Media and Information for the Osun APC, the party alleged that Abati’s commentary on Arise News’ The Morning Show was politically motivated and misleading, particularly regarding the status of the local government councils in the state.
The party said Abati failed to acknowledge the binding Court of Appeal judgment delivered on February 10, 2025, which reinstated elected APC local government chairmen and councillors, granting all the reliefs they sought. Instead, they accused him of leaning on a subsequent June 13 ruling that offered what the APC described as “mere obiter dicta”—a non-binding judicial comment.
“Abati’s intervention revealed a lack of proper understanding of the legal context and gave him away as a meddlesome interloper with vested interests,” the statement read.
The APC also questioned why Governor Ademola Adeleke had not appealed the February 10 judgment if he believed he had legal grounds, suggesting instead that the governor was colluding with the National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) to frustrate the reinstated APC council officials. NULGE has been on a sympathy strike in Osun for seven months, reportedly at the behest of the state government.
According to the APC, the prolonged disruption of local government administration has had a negative impact on grassroots governance, with the party accusing Governor Adeleke of orchestrating protests and supporting NULGE’s strike to deny APC officials access to their offices.
In a sharp rebuke, the party criticised Abati for what it perceived as an attempt to act as a judge on a matter that is sub judice, further alleging that he unfairly targeted senior lawyer Kunle Rasheed Adegoke (SAN), popularly known as K-RAD, without offering him the chance to respond.
“Dr. Abati, with his known political past under the PDP, should disqualify himself from making legal interpretations that clearly favor the current Osun State government,” the party stated.
The Osun APC also dismissed the positions of certain civil society groups and unions referenced by Abati during his broadcast, arguing that their views do not override established court judgments.
Additionally, the statement highlighted legal precedents such as Bassey v. Government of Cross River State, Archibong v. The State, and Ukwu v. Bunge, to argue that any recent commentary from courts not directly addressing the matter of who rightfully occupies Osun’s local government seats cannot nullify the February 10 decision.
“Abati’s narrative is not only legally flawed but also dangerously misleading. He should stop playing to the gallery and instead uphold the standards of responsible journalism,” the statement concluded.
The party further called attention to the murder of Hon. Remi Abass, the reinstated chairman of Irewole Local Government, and others allegedly killed during a violent clash between political factions, asking why voices like Abati’s were silent then.
It will be recalled that the crisis over local government administration in Osun State has dragged on since the Court of Appeal ruled in favor of APC-elected officials earlier in the year.
The refusal of Governor Adeleke’s administration to recognize or reinstate them fully has led to a political and administrative standoff, compounded by a prolonged strike by local government workers under NULGE.
– Hear Dr. Reuben Abati on the seized Osun LG allocations through the following link :
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