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Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke
The Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress has raised the alarm over Governor Ademola Adeleke’s directive instructing recently installed local government chairmen and councillors to stay away from council secretariats.
The party claims the move is a calculated deception, alleging that Adeleke’s administration is secretly plotting attacks against the legally reinstated chairmen and councillors.
In a statement issued on Monday, the APC accused Adeleke of planning to use the Amotekun Corps and non-state actors, allegedly brought in from Oyo State and the Niger Delta, to forcefully prevent the reinstated officials from assuming office.
The statement, titled “Adeleke’s Directive to Illegal Council Chairmen to Avoid LG Secretariats Is Deceitful,” was signed by the party’s Director of Media and Information, Kola Olabisi.
“The directive to stay away from the local government secretariats is a mere smokescreen. The governor and his party are bent on fomenting trouble and blaming it on the legally recognised and reinstated chairmen, who are determined to resume duty,” the statement read.
The APC also accused Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde and the Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, Senator Bala Mohammed, of being part of an alleged plot to stoke crisis in Osun State.
The party claimed Makinde had mobilised thugs from Oyo State to Osun and provided them with cover during the inauguration of the new local government chairmen.
It further alleged that Bala Mohammed had secured the support of another PDP governor to deploy Niger Delta militants to the state to incite violence.
“The attendance of the two governors at the inauguration was a strategic move to provide cover for the movement of hoodlums to Osogbo,” the APC’s statement partly read.
The party also claimed that the alleged militants, disguised in security uniforms, were tasked with abducting opposition members and instilling fear among the public to create an atmosphere of chaos.
“These militants are the same criminals notorious for kidnapping for ransom in their regions. They have now been drafted to unleash terror on our people,” the statement added.
According to the APC, the Amotekun Corps, under the command of retired Chief Superintendent of Police Adekunle Omoyele, has been enlisted to provide operational support for the alleged mission.
“The men of the Amotekun Corps are to provide hooded clothing and masks to conceal the identities of the criminals after perpetrating their evil acts,” the party alleged.
The APC urged security agencies to investigate activities at the official residence of Adeleke’s Chief of Staff, Alhaji Kazeem Akinleye, in the Government House.
“As of this moment, the mini-field of the building resembles a military training ground, with suspected cultists, hoodlums, and militants assembled from outside the state,” the statement alleged.
The party further referenced past incidents, including the killing of Hon. Remi Abass in Irewole Local Government, as evidence of the governor’s alleged history of orchestrating violence while publicly advocating for peace.
“We urge Osun residents to be vigilant and not fall victim to these political machinations. Governor Adeleke has a history of issuing peace-prone directives while secretly promoting violence,” the statement warned.
The APC called on security agencies to remain on high alert and intensify efforts to protect Osun residents. It also urged workers and traders to be cautious, emphasising the need to prevent political violence from disrupting daily activities in the state.
Osun PDP denies allegations
Meanwhile, the Osun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party has refuted allegations linking the party to thuggery, dismissing the claims as false and politically motivated.
Speaking on the matter, the Director of Media for Osun PDP, Oladele Bamiji, categorically denied the accusations, stating that the party does not engage in violence.
“All they said is false. The PDP is not known for thuggery. They always accuse us of what they themselves are doing. That is exactly what happened in Ilesa.
“They imported dangerous thugs from the very region they are now accusing us of bringing them from. That is their method, but their game will soon be up,” Bamiji stated.
He further assured that security agencies had been alerted to the situation and would take appropriate action.
“The security agencies we reported them to will take action and bring them to justice.
“For us as a government, we know it is inappropriate to engage in anything that could endanger the lives of our people. It is simply not worth it.”
Bamiji also revealed that Adeleke had issued a directive to the newly sworn-in local government chairmen to steer clear of secretariats to prevent any potential clashes.
“The leader of the state, our governor, Ademola Adeleke, has directed our newly sworn-in chairmen to stay away from the secretariats to avoid confrontation that could lead to unnecessary bloodshed. That is the approach we are taking,” he concluded.
