The Osun State All Progressives Congress (APC) has cautioned Timi Frank, the former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the party, to refrain from exploiting the judiciary by blackmailing it regarding the ongoing state election petition between the former governor of the state, Gboyega Oyetola, and the incumbent Governor, Ademola Adeleke.

In a publication that went viral on Thursday, Frank accused some politicians of attempting to use monetary inducement, coercion, and state security agencies to influence the judgment of the Supreme Court. He further alleged that a sum of $2 million per Justice of the Supreme Court was offered as a bribe, and coercion and intimidation using state security agencies were underway.

However, the Osun APC, through its Acting Chairman, Tajudeen Lawal, denied the allegations in a statement released on Thursday in Osogbo. The party's Director of Media and Information, Kola Olabisi, described Frank's claims as frivolous, false, spurious, and borne out of desperation on the part of Frank and his sponsors.

The Osun State APC Acting Chairman further commented that Timi Frank and his supporters are intentionally blackmailing the highest judicial officers of the Supreme Court "since the rules of their practice forbid them from engaging with any rabble-rouser who might be spewing mere conjectures out of frustration."

The APC Acting Chairman also stated that it was inappropriate for Frank to drag the judiciary through the mud for his own political interests. Lawal advised Frank to stop measuring the Osun APC leaders by the yardstick of his sponsors.

Describing Frank as a meddlesome interloper, Lawal suggested that in a more reasonable society, Frank would be in custody of the security agencies by now so that he could reveal what he knows about his "reckless, cooked-up, and fabricated allegation of monetary inducement against the Justices of the Supreme Court in order to create avoidable tension in the society."

“Why does Frank derive pleasure in the propagation of falsehood, gossip and speculations which are best consigned to the beer parlour? Frank should be in the know of the fact that the invention of any cock-and-bull story in the corner of his room with the intention to rubbishing the hard-earned reputation of the judicial officers on the altar of politics would not attract to him any positive estimation of his person.

“But Frank is knowledgeable and experienced enough in the field of partisan and theoretical politics for him to know that litigation is a veritable aspect of the governorship election process in Nigeria. The earlier you, Frank, stop bullying the judiciary because of your selfish interest in all endeavours, the better you will be adding value to the genuine democratic process in Nigeria,” Lawal stated.

On Thursday, Timi Frank, a former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the APC, raised concerns that certain desperate politicians were using clandestine tactics to overturn Adeleke's victory at the Court of Appeal. According to Frank, these politicians were offering monetary inducements of $2 million to each of the five Supreme Court justices.

Frank urged the Supreme Court judges to uphold their integrity and reject any attempt at subversion through inducement in the Osun governorship case.

According to him, “recent intelligence reports available have suggested that the enemies of democracy and fascist elements operating in the APC were bent on truncating democracy by using every state apparatus available in perpetuating mischief and subversion of legitimacy, as evident in the just concluded governorship rerun election in Adamawa State.”

Frank alleged thus, “Howbeit, these same elements who have been operating without fear for consequences have once again arisen to compromise the integrity of the judiciary by vowing to overturn the decision of the Court of Appeal, by any means necessary in relation to the Osun State Supreme Court decision.

“Monetary inducement of $2 million per JSC on this matter is the offer inherent as well as coercion and intimidation using state security agencies to greatly influence the judgment of the SC is in top gear and underway.

“The Supreme Court must be put on notice that Nigerians are very interested in the outcomes of judgement decisions from the SC and will continue to beam its searchlights on the discreet activities of the Judges especially after the ridiculous decisions as regards Senator Ahmad Lawan and Senator Godswill Akpabio. We are constrained to believe that indeed, recent decisions from the SC suggest that certain compromise may have been plausible by the outcomes of judicial matters.

“The hopes of many Nigerians is fast fading away as most Nigerians doubt the independence of the judiciary in the dispense of justice. The SC must not be seen going the way of the INEC chairman, who blatantly voided its own rules to subvert the will of the people save for personal aggrandizement.

“The JSC must put the country first in the discharge of their constitutional duties. The 2023 Presidential Elections results are still rife in the minds of many and thus any attempt to deliver any controversial judgement may end up in anarchy.

“The SC must be reminded that the Osun State matter will be the first litmus test for the JSC. The facts of the matter are very clear, with the CA putting to rest the issues of over voting and any other discrepancies. Therefore the minimum expectations for the SC are to stand by the truth and avoid any semblance of intimidation and coercion. The right thing must be done, as it is clear that the Osun people are extremely pleased with the choice of their governor and are elated with his performance since his inception into office.

“In order to demonstrate independence and integrity the SC should as a matter of public opinion approve for the use of live telecast in broadcasting its proceedings for the Presidential Elections matter. The Supreme Court must stand on what is right and just and endeavour to reclaim its already battered image.”