Governor Ademola Adeleke has denied any responsibility for the ongoing strike by the Judicial Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) in the Osun State Judiciary, insisting the matter falls solely under the authority of the state’s Chief Judge.
The governor’s response came after a December 8, 2025 letter from the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) branches in Osun, which accused him and his Judicial Service Commission (JSC) appointees of contributing to the paralysis of the judiciary.
In an official statement released on Tuesday, Governor Adeleke described the allegations as misrepresentations. He reaffirmed his commitment to constitutional governance, the rule of law, and a fully functioning judiciary, but noted that the strike stems from the Chief Judge’s failure to convene any JSC meetings or implement the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) signed with JUSUN following the 2024 strike.
The governor challenged both the Chief Judge and the NBA to provide evidence of any JSC meeting held in the past two years, despite repeated reminders from the Attorney General and JUSUN. He recalled personally intervening during the previous strike, meeting with JUSUN’s National President, Comrade Marwan Mustapha Adamu, on February 6, 2024, which led to a tripartite MOA signed on February 16, 2024, by JUSUN, the State Attorney-General, and the Chief Registrar of the High Court.
The MOA outlined commitments including the reinstatement of suspended staff, promotion of qualified judiciary workers, withdrawal of pending cases, payment of 2023 robe allowances, consideration of overdue 2021/2022 allowances, development of a proper scheme of service, prevention of victimisation, and respect for the oversight powers of the National Judicial Council (NJC).
Governor Adeleke emphasized that the failure to implement the MOA is the Chief Judge’s responsibility, not his administration’s. He reiterated his willingness to support lawful measures aimed at restoring judicial operations and ending the disruption affecting court users across Osun State.