- Safiu Kehinde
Members of the National Assembly caucus from Osun State have asked President Bola Tinubu to call former governor of the state, Gboyega Oyetola, to order over his alleged involvements in the ongoing crisis in the state.
The caucus comprise the three senators and nine House of Representatives members elected from the state who are also all members of the Peoples Democratic Party.
The caucus frowned against the mayhem which ensued between supporters of the All Progressive Congress (APC) and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) over the Court of Appeal ruling that allegedly reinstated sacked APC local government chairmen and councillors.
Members of the caucus include Deputy Senate Minority Leader, Senator Akogun Olalere Oyewumi, Senator Francis Adenigba Fadahunsi, and Senator Olubiyi Fadeyi Ajagunnla.
Others are Hon. Bamidele Salami, Hon. Busayo Oluwole Oke, Hon. Taofeek Abimbola Ajilesoro, Hon. Clement Akanni Olohunwa, Hon. Soji Adetunji, Hon. Adebayo Morufu Adewale, Hon. Mudashiru Lukman, Hon. Lanre Oladebo, and Hon. Sanya Omirin.
Speaking at a press conference on behalf of his colleagues at the National Assembly complex in Abuja on Monday, lawmaker representing Ede North/Ede South/Ejigbo/Egbedore federal constituency, Bamidele Salami, condemned the “brazen effrontery of the sacked Local Government Council officials to return to office notwithstanding the yet-to-be-set-aside decision of the Court of Appeal, Akure, against their return to the office.”
On Monday, several people were injured across local government areas of Osun State as a crisis rocked the state over the controversy surrounding the Appeal Court judgment on sacked local government chairmen in the state.
Some of the affected councils that witnessed clashes between supporters of All Progressives Congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) were Ayedaade, Boripe, Osogbo, Olorunda, Ila, Isokan, Irewole, Obokun, and Atakumosa local government areas of the state.
NPO Reported on Sunday of imminent violence after Oyetola held a meeting with APC members in Osogbo where he called on the security agencies to facilitate the return of the sacked APC LG chairmen back to office.
Bamidele Salam, while addressing journalists on Monday, urged President Bola Tinubu to instruct the National Security Adviser and the Attorney General of the Federation to properly advise the APC in Osun on the futility of their barbaric actions and guide them appropriately on the true position of the law on this matter.
He said: “Today, the people of Osun woke up to a criminal takeover of the Local Government Secretariats across Osun State by these sacked officials who forcefully broke into the premises of the councils, aided by thugs and hooligans who have been shooting sporadically, wreaking havoc on the people of the State, thereby breaking law and order.
“Sadly, this is being perpetrated with the support of some security personnel, relying on a different court judgment, despite a subsisting court judgment which upheld the nullification of their purported election.
“We are aware that these dastardly acts are being carried out under the directives of the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Mr. Gboyega Oyetola and some notable leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the State in active collaboration with the heads of Security Agencies in the State, namely: the Commissioner of Police, the Director of State Security Service, and the State Commandant of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC).
“This is an invitation to anarchy and it has broken law and order in the State, thereby causing chaos and mayhem which has threatened the relative peace being enjoyed by the good people of Osun State under the stewardship of the Peoples’ Governor, HE, Sen. Ademola Nurudeen Jackson Adeleke.
“These desperate acts contradict common sense in view of the fact that there is a Local Government election scheduled for Saturday, 22nd of February to which the APC has purchased forms, conducted primaries, and actively engaged in campaigns in the last couple of months.
“It, therefore, baffles any right-thinking mind on how the same party and its leaders will turn around to insist that officials who were sacked over two years ago should forcefully take over office in a manner that disrupts the peace of the state.”
The caucus lamented that the desperate act in connivance with security agents is taking its toll as scores of PDP members, local government workers, and other innocent persons, who it said, have been shot, brutalised, and harassed by APC thugs and security men in the last few hours.
Salami added: “There are several reports of attacks in various parts of the State. At Isokan Local Government, it was reported that three PDP members were shot dead by APC thugs in their bid to take over the local government secretariats.
“At Boripe Local Government, PDP members who were holding peaceful meetings were reportedly attacked by MOPOL and thugs working with the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Mr. Gboyega Oyetola.
“At Boluwaduro Local Government, Mr. Asiri Eniba (a notorious APC thug) reportedly led the assaults on PDP members, shooting sporadically across major towns in the area. At Ayedaade Local Government, APC thugs shot a member of the PDP to death with several wounded. At Ilesa East, APC thugs swooped on the local government Secretariat, macheting PDP members on sight.
“We condemn these unfolding acts of state capture through violence, usurpation of constituted authority, abuse of federal power, and gross rascality by the APC in Osun and especially the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Mr. Gboyega Oyetola.
“We hereby alert the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, HE Sen. Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and the international community of this unfortunate occurrence. Accordingly, we call on Mr. President to direct the Inspector General of Police to immediately restore law and order in the State.
“Furthermore, we call on Mr. President to instruct the National Security Adviser and the Attorney General of the Federation to properly advise the All Progressives Congress in Osun on the futility of their barbaric actions and guide them appropriately on the true position of the law on this matter.
“Finally, we want to state it categorically that as representatives of the people, we stand by the Osun State Government on this matter in defense of democracy and the rule of law.”
Reacting in a statement shared on Monday by the special assistant on Digital Media to Osun State governor, Olalekan Badmus, the lawmakers claimed that Oyetola, the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, along with some APC leaders in Osun, were behind the mayhem.
They alleged that the Oyetola-led APC members collaborated with security agencies in the state to instigate the sacked APC LG chairmen and councillors in returning to the secretariats.
Condemning the violence, the lawmakers restated Adeleke’s appeal to President Tinubu for his intervention by calling Oyetola to halt the illegal takeover.
The statement read in part; “The Osun State Caucus of the 10th National Assembly, Abuja, which includes the three Distinguished Senators representing the three Senatorial Districts of the state and the nine Honourable Members of the House of Representatives representing the nine Federal Constituencies in Osun State, has chosen to address the press following recent political developments in our state.
“These developments center around judicial rulings on the local government election held on October 15th, 2022.
“In light of the recent breakdown of law and order in Osun, we find it imperative to address this situation as elected representatives who have sworn to uphold the rule of law and protect democratic values at all times.
“We unequivocally condemn the brazen actions of the sacked local government council officials, who have unlawfully attempted to return to their offices despite the Court of Appeal’s decision in Akure, which remains in effect.
“Today, the people of Osun witnessed a criminal takeover of local government secretariats across the state by these sacked officials, who forcibly entered council offices, aided by thugs and hooligans.
“These individuals have been wreaking havoc, shooting sporadically and causing widespread panic, undermining public safety.
“Shockingly, some security personnel have supported these actions, citing a different court judgment, despite the existence of a ruling that invalidates their supposed election.
“On Sunday, 16th February 2025, the Governor of Osun State, Senator Ademola Adeleke, appealed to President Bola Tinubu to intervene and prevent the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Gboyega Oyetola, from using security forces to perpetuate this illegal takeover.”