APC’s resort to self help condemnable – NASS caucus

From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja

The Osun State caucus in the National Assembly has accused the APC of unleashing violence on Osun State, in an alleged bid to forcefully take over the local government councils in the state.

The caucus, at a press briefing, in Abuja, yesterday, said  local government officials, elected during the immediate past administration led by the APC, yesterday, allegedly attempted to force themselves back to office, despite a subsisting court judgment, which nullified their  elections.

Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Public  Accounts, Bamidele Salam, who spoke on behalf of the caucus, noted that the action of the former council officials was an invitation to chaos.

Consequently, he implored President Tinubu to intervene by directing the National Security Adviser (NSA) and the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to restore law and others in the state.

According to him: “Today, the people of Osun woke up to a criminal take-over 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.

“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, 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, February 22, 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 lawmaker, who explained that there is a subsisting judgment in a suit filed by the Action Peoples Party ( APP), which sacked the council officials elected under the immediate past administration in the state, said the APC needs to wait for the verdict of the Supreme Court on the issue.

“The APC then needs to wait till the appeal on the judgement of the APP is finally determined by the apex court and should stop blowing hot and cold at the same time. It is inexplicable that the APC which is pursuing the judgement of the APP on one hand is also seeking illegal execution of another judgement on the other hand,” he stated.