The political crisis in Osun State intensified on Monday as the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) urged the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency following reports of multiple deaths.
However, the state government dismissed the call, accusing the APC of attempting to instigate chaos to achieve their goal.
During an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday, APC National Secretary, Senator Ajibola Basiru, and Osun State Commissioner for Information, Kolapo Alimi, discussed the situation.
Senator Basiru suggested that federal intervention might be necessary, saying, “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.”
In response, Alimi rejected the idea, accusing the APC of fueling the violence. “I call on our amiable president to reject the call of Honourable Bashiru and his cohorts. That is exactly what they are targeting, they deliberately caused mayhem in this state,” he said.
Alimi further stated, “We are going to publish the names of our members that have been killed. There is no court of appeal that restored them, we urge them to toe the line of peace.”
On Monday, at least two people were reportedly killed as some reinstated local government chairmen and councillors resumed office at various local government headquarters across the state’s 30 councils. They claimed to be enforcing a court ruling in compliance with the rule of law.
The attempted takeovers led to clashes in areas like Oshogbo, the state capital, Ikire, and Irewole local government areas, resulting in the death of one reinstated council chairman, Remi Abbas.
The ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and the opposition APC are trading accusations, with both parties claiming that their members were killed during the unrest.
