The Chief Judge, Justice Adepele Ojo, has been removed from office by the Osun State Government, and in her stead, Justice Olayinka David Afolabi has been appointed as the Acting Chief Judge. This announcement was made in a statement by Governor Ademola Adeleke’s spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, on Thursday. The appointment of Justice Afolabi is said to be effective immediately, following the approval of a resolution by the Osun State House of Assembly.
The decision to replace Justice Ojo as Chief Judge follows previous speculations in various quarters about the state government’s intention to dismiss her. Some civil society organizations had drawn attention to these speculations on Wednesday. However, the state government, through the Commissioner for Information and Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, refuted these rumors. It emphasized that no government official in the state is above the laws of the state.