Lifeless body of victims
The grounds in Osun state have been drenched with blood, after eight people were killed and several others sustaining varying degrees of injuries, during a bitter dispute, between the All Progressive Party (APC), and the People Democratic Party (PDP), over control of the local government council.
A breakdown of the death records shows that five were members of PDP, while the three others who died during the crisis over local government control are from the APC.
Among the three APC supporters killed during the mayhem, which took place across different secretariat, as gathered, was one Remi Abbas a member of the Irewole LG, a timber merchant and a yet-to-be-identified man from Isokan council.
Meanwhile, out of the five PDP loyalists murdered during the attack, two were from Iragbiji, Boripe LG, another two were from Ola Oluwa, and a resident of Ikire.
Both party members, were killed after violence erupted between the PDP and the opposition party, leading to armed men releasing gunfire following the resumption of the reinstated executive councils.
The state Commissioner for information, Kolapo Alimi, who represented the PDP and the APC National Secretary, Jibola Bashiru confirmed this, during an interview in a popular television programme on Monday.
While Bashiru argued that none of the PDP members were confirmed dead, and instead claimed that only three APC members died, allegedly at the hands of the governor’s goons, the commissioner opposed him, saying he has records that show five PDP members and one APC member actually lost their lives.
The whole sage emerged after the forceful take-over of the Local Government Secretariat across the state by sacked officials who were members of the All Progressives Congress.
Activities in councils across the state, including Ayedaade, Ila, Atakumosa East, and Ife North, among others, were resumed, with APC executives and supporters celebrating and boasting about reclaiming control of the respective premises.
The chaos across the state came barely 24 hours after Governor Ademola Adeleke alleged that his predecessor Gboyega Oyetola, had instructed the police and the Department of State Services “to effect a non-existent judgment by forcefully taking over the local governments.
The governor said, “The bone of contention is the brazen effrontery to return to office council chairmen sacked by a subsisting court Judgment using a different court decision, which has no consequential order.
“Let me make it clear that the said Council Chairmen were sacked before I was sworn in as governor of Osun State, contrary to the lies being peddled, that the Chairmen and councilors were sacked by my Executive Order.
“For emphasis, l want to state that I had nothing to do with the sacking of the chairmen and councilors produced by the Osun 2022 local government polls. The Chairmen and Councilors were sacked by two different judgments of the Federal High Court Osogbo.
Meanwhile, the Osun State Caucus of the National Assembly has condemned the forceful takeover of local government secretariats by sacked APC officials.
The caucus, led by Deputy Senate Minority Leader Lere Oyewumi, alleged that the former governor now Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, is influencing security agents to perpetrate the illegal act.
“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 the 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.”
Culled from guildng.com