The Osun State Caucus in the 10th National Assembly has accused the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Gboyega Oyetola, of allegedly masterminding the move to violently take over local government secretariats across the state.
Describing the development as a clear invitation to anarchy, the lawmakers alleged that the move is being orchestrated by Oyetola despite a subsisting court judgment affirming the removal of the All Progressives Congress (APC)-backed local government officials.
The forum accused Oyetola, who is the immediate past governor of the state, of conniving with the Commissioner of Police, the Director of State Security Service (SSS), and the State Commandant of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) to unleash mayhem in Osun.
Members of the caucus include Deputy Senate Minority Leader, Senator Akogun Olalere Oyewumi, Senator Francis Adenigba Fadahunsi, and Senator Olubiyi Fadeyi Ajagunnla.
Others are Hon. Bamidele Salami, Hon. Busayo Oluwole Oke, Hon. Taofeek Abimbola Ajilesoro, Hon. Clement Akanni Olohunwa, Hon. Soji Adetunji, Hon. Adebayo Morufu Adewale, Hon. Mudashiru Lukman, Hon. Lanre Oladebo, and Hon. Sanya Omirin.
Speaking at a press conference on behalf of his colleagues at the National Assembly complex in Abuja on Monday, lawmaker representing Ede North/Ede South/Ejigbo/Egbedore federal constituency, Bamidele Salami, condemned the “brazen effrontery of the sacked Local Government Council officials to return to office notwithstanding the yet-to-be-set-aside decision of the Court of Appeal, Akure, against their return to the office.”
On Monday, several people were injured across local government areas of Osun State as a crisis rocked the state over the controversy surrounding the Appeal Court judgment on sacked local government chairmen in the state.
Some of the affected councils that witnessed clashes between supporters of All Progressives Congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) were Ayedaade, Boripe, Osogbo, Olorunda, Ila, Isokan, Irewole, Obokun, and Atakumosa local government areas of the state.
Recall that the elected LG officials were sacked by a decision of Justice Nathaniel Ayo-Emmanuel of an Osogbo Federal High Court on November 25, 2022.
But following the Court of Appeal’s decision, they have been angling to return, a situation that did not sit well with the Governor Ademola Adeleke-led administration, which has fixed February 22 to conduct a fresh LG poll.
At the weekend, Oyetola held a meeting with APC stakeholders in Osogbo and called on the security agencies to facilitate the return of the sacked APC LG chairmen back to office.
Salami, in his address to journalists on Monday, urged President Bola Tinubu to instruct the National Security Adviser and the Attorney General of the Federation to properly advise the APC in Osun on the futility of their barbaric actions and guide them appropriately on the true position of the law on this matter.
He said: “Today, the people of Osun woke up to a criminal takeover 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.
“Sadly, this is being perpetrated with the support of some security personnel, relying on a different court judgment, despite a subsisting court judgment which upheld the nullification of their purported election.
“We are aware that these dastardly acts are being carried out under the directives of the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Mr. Gboyega Oyetola and some notable leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the State in active collaboration with the heads of Security Agencies in the State, namely: the Commissioner of Police, the Director of State Security Service, and the State Commandant of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC).
“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, HE, 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, 22nd of February 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 caucus lamented that the desperate act in connivance with security agents is taking its toll as scores of PDP members, local government workers, and other innocent persons, who it said, have been shot, brutalised, and harassed by APC thugs and security men in the last few hours.
Salami added: “There are several reports of attacks in various parts of the State. At Isokan Local Government, it was reported that three PDP members were shot dead by APC thugs in their bid to take over the local government secretariats.
“At Boripe Local Government, PDP members who were holding peaceful meetings were reportedly attacked by MOPOL and thugs working with the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Mr. Gboyega Oyetola.
“At Boluwaduro Local Government, Mr. Asiri Eniba (a notorious APC thug) reportedly led the assaults on PDP members, shooting sporadically across major towns in the area. At Ayedaade Local Government, APC thugs shot a member of the PDP to death with several wounded. At Ilesa East, APC thugs swooped on the local government Secretariat, macheting PDP members on sight.
“We condemn these unfolding acts of state capture through violence, usurpation of constituted authority, abuse of federal power, and gross rascality by the APC in Osun and especially the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Mr. Gboyega Oyetola.
“We hereby alert the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, HE Sen. Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and the international community of this unfortunate occurrence. Accordingly, we call on Mr. President to direct the Inspector General of Police to immediately restore law and order in the State.
“Furthermore, we call on Mr. President to instruct the National Security Adviser and the Attorney General of the Federation to properly advise the All Progressives Congress in Osun on the futility of their barbaric actions and guide them appropriately on the true position of the law on this matter.
“Finally, we want to state it categorically that as representatives of the people, we stand by the Osun State Government on this matter in defense of democracy and the rule of law.”
