Osun LG Crisis: Residents scamper for safety as PDP, APC clash over secretariats

There were pockets of violence in some local governments on Monday as members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and All Progressives Congress (APC) engaged in skirmishes over control of local government secretariats.

A correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) at Ife East Local Government Secretariat in Ile-Ife reports that a crisis broke out when PDP members were trying to resist APC members attempting to gain entrance into the premises.

The crisis resulted in sporadic gunshots while passers-by scampered for safety.

Police officers at the scene fled when they could no longer control the situation.

NAN reports that a pregnant woman scampering for safety fainted and later regained consciousness after water was poured on her.

The pregnant woman, who identified herself as Zainab, told NAN that she was on her way to buy food when she heard gunshots fired by some hoodlums.

A NAN correspondent, who was also being manhandled by suspected thugs, was rescued by some workers of the local government.

Some police officers and other security personnel were, however, keeping watch at the Osogbo and Olorunda local government secretariats to prevent hoodlums from breaking into the premises.

The police spokesperson in the state, Yemisi Opalola, said police personnel had been deployed to local councils across the state to maintain law and order.

NAN reports that there had been a crisis between APC and PDP over the Court of Appeal judgement regarding the sacked APC council chairpersons and councillors.

While the PDP claimed that the 10 February judgement of the Court of Appeal, Akure, did not reinstate the sacked APC chairpersons and councillors elected in 2022, APC insisted on their return.

Governor Ademola Adeleke had on Sunday alleged that members of the APC were planning to forcefully take over the 30 local government secretariats in the state.

Mr Adeleke, while addressing a news conference, insisted that the council chairpersons and councillors were sacked by the courts in Osogbo in two separate judgements.

The governor said that the Court of Appeal judgement did not order the reinstatement of the sacked chairpersons and councillors

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However, at another press conference, the state APC chairperson, Tajudeen Lawal, asked the governor to comply with the court order and give protection to the reinstated council chairpersons and councillors.

” Laws are not built on sentiments but rather on facts.

“The Appellate Court did not only find the APC Appeal meritorious but also allowed the appeal in a unanimous decision which has sought, among others, reinstatement of the elected officers.

“Neither the state government nor the Peoples Democratic Party find any error in the judgment in respect of which no appeal was filed.

“It is surprising, however, that the state government has begun to deploy so many tactics to avoid enforcement of the judgment which ought to be automatic,” he said.

(NAN)