Oluseye Ojo, Ibadan
Indications emerged yesterday that the end may be in sight for the leadership crisis rocking the local government administration in Oyo State, between the Peoples Democratic Party-led government and sacked council chairmen, who are all members of the All Progressives Congress (APC), as parties said they have been making progress in the out-of-court settlement.
They gave the progress reports when they appeared before Justice Mashud Abass of the Oyo State High Court, sitting in Ibadan. They were optimistic that the impasse would possibly be resolved amicably before the next day of adjournment.
The presiding judge, Justice Abass, who expressed his satisfaction with the level of progress made so far in the move for the out-of-court settlement, adjourned the case till March 20, 2020 for the parties to return to the court and present progress report.
Speaking with journalists after the proceedings, lead counsel to the claimants, Dr. Akin Onigbinde (SAN), said: “We are making progress, both judicially and in terms of the resolution of the issues before the court. We have an offer and we have made it available to relevant parties. Everybody is on the same page that time should be given for due and proper consideration of the issues before the court. We have made some progress together.
“My expectation is that all of these matters will be reasonably considered and resolved by all the parties involved. The state, on its side, has been very fair in its consideration of the plight and condition of the defendants. And the state is willing to deal with everybody as a citizen of the state, not as outsiders.”