- Safiu Kehinde
Governor of Oyo state Seyi Makinde on Sunday said no one should resort to intimidation of the sun-regional governments using the powers of the federal government.
Makinde while speaking at the swearing in ceremony of the newly elected chairmen in Osogbo, Osun state, said everyone should allow all processes to follow the course.
In a seeming veiled reference to President Bola Tinubu, Makinde held that no one should use what he called “federal might” to destabilise the South-West.
This was in his reaction to the violence which occured in Osun last week over the legal tussle involving the APC LG Chairmen and Councillors who were sacked by an Osun State High in 2022.
Prior to the LG election held yesterday, a Court of Appeal ruling reinstated the sacked council officials which lead to full fledge crisis following attempt by the APC LG officials to forcefully return to office.
With over six deaths and several injured victims recorded, the Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, had called for the suspension of the LG election.
In the same vein, the Nigerian Police Force also warned of imminent violence if the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSSIEC) proceeded with the election.
However, the state governor, Ademola Adeleke, defied the warnings as he maintained that the election will hold.
Makinde, in reaction to the fracas, charged the APC to follow the due process as regards the legal tussle over the sacked LG Chairmen and Councillors who were reinstated by the Appeal Court ruling.
He warned against making the southwest ungovernable due to crisis while calling for the strict adherence to due process.
“We are students of history. We know what we went through when the Southwest was wild wild west.
“We do not want wild wild west. They should stay away from this zone. We just want to peacefully deliver dividends to our people. And nobody should resort to self-help.
“Even if you have court judgement, there is a process. Let the process go through. You cannot because you have Federal might, you want truncate the process.” The Oyo state governor said.