Osun LG Crisis: PDP Wants Letters From Office Of CJ Probed

Osun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has asked the Federal High Court chief judge to investigate the irregularities in the letters allocating cases to judges allegedly issued from his office by his personal assistant.

The party, at a press conference addressed by its chairman, Hon Sunday Bisi, in Osogbo yesterday, described the letter allegedly written on August 21st, 2025, by Joshua Ibrahim Aji, Esq., assigning a judicial duty to a judge of the Federal High Court as a gross aberration.

“First, let me say this clearly: proxies or personal assistants cannot exercise judicial powers. They are reserved exclusively for judicial officers (judges). Unfortunately, that is the abnormal situation we are confronted with, which informed this press conference.

“On the 21st of August, 2025, a letter was issued and signed by Joshua Ibrahim Aji, Esq., who described himself as Special Assistant to the Honourable Chief Judge of the Federal High Court. In that letter, judicial functions were purportedly exercised, assigning a judicial duty to a court judge.

The chairman noted that a Special Assistant is not a judicial officer, and judicial powers cannot be exercised directly or by delegation through such an aide. He added that to make matters worse, another letter emerged dated 2nd September 2025, not even signed by the so-called Special Assistant, but signed on his behalf.

Bisi, who insisted that the power to transfer a matter from one judge of the Federal High Court to another is provided for under the Federal High Court Act, added that such transfer can only be sought through a formal application, in open court, before the presiding judge handling the matter and not in secret.

The chairman who queried the rationale behind the transfer of the case to Abuja when it was filed at the Osogbo Division, demanded that the case be returned to the regular Federal High Court in Osogbo, adding that any transfer application must be made openly before the regular presiding judge.

Recall that the Osun State Government had, in suit FHC/Os/CS/94/2025, dragged the Central Bank and ORS to court to challenge the move to release local government funds to alleged illegal political functionaries in the state.