5 days ago
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Spokesperson for Osun Mastermind, Ayodeji Ologun, has said that the All Progressives’ Congress (APC) and People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Osun State should have resolved their issues concerning the sacked Local Government Chairmen legally, rather than resorting to the violence and destruction which rocked the state on Monday.
Ologun made this statement during an interview with ARISE NEWS while addressing the tragic events of Monday, when gunmen invaded local government secretariats amid the power struggle between the APC and PDP over the appeal court’s decision. The attack resulted in multiple casualties.
“What we would have expected is that when issues of such comes up, especially issues that involve legality, such should be resolved legally. You don’t resort to mayhem, you don’t resort to killing, you don’t resort to making people ungovernable, you don’t resort to making life unbearable for the people,” Ologun said, adding that one would have expected that both parties would have sought clarity on the judgement before resorting to violence.
When asked about the role of former governor Oyetola in these issues, he said, “In all of these things, you can’t rule politics out. I’m aware, because I was in Oshogbo, I’m aware that the APC, according to the other party, hosted the former governor Oyetola to a welcome party on Friday, and the media reported a lot of things being said at that meeting, and by Sunday, there was a press conference by the governor of the state.”
“What was reported that Oyetola said at that meeting was calling on security agencies to enforce the judgement of the court, which is the right thing to do. And by Sunday, the governor of the state, Senator Isiaka Ademola Adeleke, came out to address the press and said all kinds of things which I’m sure you must have seen, called on the president, even referred to Oyetola as his Nephew, that he should call his nephew to order. And then, one begins to wonder why you begin to bring in family issues – if it ever existed – into such matters.
“But for me and for the organisation I represent, it is a simple thing. If a judgement was given and one party is laying claim to what you claim is not being said, the ideal thing is to approach the same court – that provision is in the law. Approach the same appeal court to seek for interpretation of the judgement, and that perhaps, would have made all of these killings, mayhem, and what have you avoidable,” he added.
Ologun then criticised security agencies for failing to prevent the crisis, reiterating that it was unavoidable as he said, “It is the duty of the police to protect the people, and when there has been a call, especially – policing is not just about waiting for things to happen and then you take action. Sometimes, most of the time even, it is the duty of the police to prevent law and order being broken down. And I believe this strongly that assuming without conceding that the judgement of the court stipulates that the sacked local government chairmen should go back to the office.
“The right thing to do was for the party to have approached the registrar of the court, who in turn informs security agencies to enforce the judgement of the courts. And if that was not done, what the police should have done was to have possibly directed all the divisional police officers across the state to take over the local government secretariat, prior the purported resumption.
“This would have prevented the breakdown of law and order, because in politics, nobody gives, nobody takes. The APC wanted to take by force, the PDP wanted to ensure that that does not happen, and that led to, as at the last count, I think over ten lives have been lost across board, both on the APC and the PDP part. This could have been prevented, and I strongly believe so.”
Ozioma Samuel-Ugwuezi
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