1 week ago
23
The crisis over the control of local government secretariats in Osun state has worsened as eight persons, including a local government chairman, were reportedly killed and scores injured as elected local government officials on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC, assumed offices at the various council secretariats.
The recent challenges regarding the administration of local governments in Osun highlight the importance of having accountable leaders who understand the responsibility they hold to the people. In contrast, former Governor Oyetola’s approach has sometimes been reckless or driven by personal agenda. Rauf Aregbesola has always emphasised that true governance is rooted in the service of the people, not the self-interest of the few.
Osun local government crisis is that APC wanted to check if the federal government backing will be helpful in the 2026 Osun election. APC wanted to check if they are still acceptable by the good people of Osun. APC attempted to take the grassroots to overcome the central challenge. APC has challenged the confidence of Governor Adeleke whether he’s in-charge or a weakling. APC learnt a lesson in a hard way from 2022 to 2025.
Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Mr. Gboyega Oyetola, has been accused of using his position to instigate unrest in Osun state following the Appeal Court judgment on the sacked local government chairmen. The former governor of the state is exploiting his federal might to manipulate security agencies in a bid to cause political instability
Governor Adeleke had insisted that the sacked council chairmen cannot return to office, citing security reasons. However, Oyetola said the Appeal Court judgment would be implemented through the instruments of law. He added that the council executives should resume.
Intelligence report has revealed that the present strategy and plan by Oyetola is to make the state ungovernable for Governor Ademola Adeleke, so that they can hide under the guise of crisis to declare a state of emergency in Osun state. Following the crisis, the National Secretary of the APC, Dr Ajibola Basiru, who is from Osun state, had on live Channels Television on Monday evening urged the federal government to declare a state of emergency in the state to curtail further violence.
Basiru said, “I will suggest that perhaps it will be necessary for the federal government to declare a state of emergency. It has gotten to that stage where hapless people coming from farms are attacked by uncontrollable PDP thugs.”
Their major target is to declare a state of emergency because they know that if the elections are allowed to hold today, Governor Adeleke will still win. So, they want to abort his second term through crisis and violence to pave the way for the declaration of a state of emergency.
I want to clarify that the recent judgment by the Court of Appeal, Akure Division, which ruled in favour of the APC-elected chairmen and councillors from the October 15, 2022 local government elections, did not include a specific order reinstating them to office.
The Court of Appeal ruled that the case brought by the PDP against the elected APC officials was speculative, the court did not overturn the federal high court’s earlier decision that had nullified the election.
Another verdict by the Court of Appeal, Akure, was a case filed by the APC, Allied People’s Movement, and one other person, which was dismissed on January 13, 2025, after the appellants abandoned their appeal.
The Court of Appeal struck out the suit filed by the PDP to challenge the conduct of the Osun state local government election in 2022. However, the same Court of Appeal also dismissed an appeal filed by the APC and APM against the judgment that nullified the election.
The Court of Appeal did not issue any order reinstating the sacked APC chairmen and councillors and that, legally, the 30 local government areas in Osun state remain vacant.
To this effect, there is no order returning any purported elected officials of the APC to office. In particular, there is no order stopping the conduct of the election already scheduled for February 22, 2025.
It’s painful when propaganda and lies are being spread like virus about Rauf Aregbesola. Osun APC is today notorious for losing elections and some members claimed that they have suspended Aregbesola. This is not 14th century. This is 21st century. This was how the Oyetola’s government lied against Aregbesola without proofs. For good four years it was blame games.Those that boasted that they can win Osun 2022 governorship election without Aregbesola made President Bola Tinubu to lose the 2023 presidential election in Osun state and today they are equally blaming Aregbesola for their loss.
The present fight in Osun state is about 2026 governorship and 2027 general elections. APC is struggling in Osun today that is why the party lost all national assembly seats and managed to win one house of assembly seat out of 26 members in the 2023 elections. APC is out of 2026 Osun politics because the party lost the 2023 presidential election, the three senatorial seats, lost the nine House of Representatives seats and managed to win one seat out of 26 members in Osun State House of Assembly.
Former Governor Oyetola didn’t conduct any election until he was ousted by Governor Adeleke. Oyetola only gave eight weeks notice to the political parties which was against the Electoral Act 2022 and so the election was boycotted by other political parties which resulted to a YES/NO election. PDP and APP instituted cases at different high courts against the elections and won. The two cases were appealed by APC. The appellate court in Akure in the case of APP vs APC dismissed the case and upheld the judgment of the high court that sacked the YES or No elected chairmen and councilors.
The Appeal court in Akure didn’t pass any judgment that asked that the elected chairmen and councilors should be reinstated. APC are only left with one option and that’s to take their appeal to the Supreme Court against APP as the judgment is still standing against them.
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