There is currently palpable tension throughout Osun State as masked gunmen reportedly storm local government council secretariats amid efforts by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to assert control.
OsunDailyNG reports that both parties have been asserting their claims over the third tier of government.
The APC contends that a recent Court of Appeal ruling has reinstated the ousted elected council chairmen and councillors, while the State Government maintains that the election was invalidated by the Federal High Court in Osogbo.
Reports indicate that in the early hours of Monday, APC members attempted to seize control of various council secretariats but faced resistance from armed hoodlums.
Additionally, an attempt by the APC to take over in Boluwaduro was thwarted by these hoodlums, and both APC and PDP members were prevented from accessing the council secretariat in Olorunda local government by police intervention.
A traveller on the Ikire-Ibadan expressway, Tunde Shamsudeen, informed Vanguard that hooded gunmen were firing shots into the air in front of the council secretariat in Irewole, Ikire, which is located directly on the expressway.
This situation compelled motorists to divert at Ikoyi to avoid potential crossfire.
Furthermore, it has been reported that the APC managed to gain entry to some council secretariats within the state, although workers did not report for duty in accordance with the directive from the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in the state.
OsunDailyNG reports that these developments happened barely a week after Governor of Osun State, Ademola Adeleke, expressed serious concerns regarding reports of a malicious scheme by certain factions within the opposition parties to launch aggressive attacks on local government secretariats throughout the state.
In a statement made available to OsunDailyNG last week Thursday, Governor Adeleke stressed that the opposition camp is also plotting a coordinated assault on leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and senior government officials.
In a statement released this morning in Osogbo, the Governor emphasized that this nefarious plan is intended to disrupt the upcoming local government elections and foster an environment of disorder, potentially leading to calls for a state of emergency.
He warned that “anyone caught in connection with this plot will face severe legal consequences.”
Governor Adeleke characterized Osun as one of the most tranquil states in the country and condemned the alarming desperation exhibited by opposition politicians, particularly from the All Progressive Congress.
The Osun Governor criticized their reliance on fabricated court rulings, the intentional spread of false information, and the creation of misleading narratives rather than engaging with voters ahead of the elections on February 22nd.
He pointed out that there is an existing court ruling obtained by the APP that invalidated the questionable local government elections conducted in 2022, asserting that this ruling remains legally binding and relevant.
