The national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party has cautioned the sacked Osun State Local Government chairmen and councillors to abandon any attempts to forcibly regain their positions, describing such efforts as futile and fraught with severe consequences.
In a statement issued by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, on Monday, the PDP also urged the All Progressives Congress to accept its defeat and cease its attempts at self-help, violence, and destabilization in Osun State. The party accused the APC of trying to trigger crises and violence after realizing its irreversible loss in the state.
The PDP emphasized that the ousted local government officials’ fate was sealed by a judgment from the Court of Appeal, which nullified the actions of the then Governor Gboyega Oyetola. Oyetola’s attempt to appoint the officials under the guise of an election was deemed unconstitutional, the PDP stated.
The statement continued, “Having been roundly rejected by the people of Osun State in the Saturday, July 16, 2022, governorship election, the then Governor Oyetola and the APC ought to have known that attempting to side-step the laws and manipulate the process to illegally foist APC members and apologists as Local Government Chairmen and Councillors was an exercise in futility which was bound to fail ultimately.”
The PDP further criticized the APC for disregarding the provisions of the Constitution and the Osun State Local Government Election Laws, particularly concerning the proper processes for conducting local government elections.
Additionally, the PDP advised the Osun APC to stop misusing the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in their efforts to gain sympathy. The statement reminded the APC that local government elections are under the jurisdiction of the state, not the federal government, and that the party should focus on preparing for the upcoming local government elections as scheduled by the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSSIEC).
The PDP also condemned the recent violence and killings of youths allegedly by APC thugs in Osun State. The party called on the Inspector General of Police to hold the APC leaders in the state accountable for the violence and bring those responsible to justice.
In conclusion, the PDP urged the people of Osun State to remain calm, law-abiding, and focused on supporting Governor Ademola Adeleke as he continues to implement transformative projects in the state.
