The opposition All Progressives Congress in Osun State has called on the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency in the state, following escalating political tensions that reportedly led to the deaths of several individuals on Monday.
The state government, however, has rejected the APC’s demand, accusing the party of deliberately inciting violence to achieve its objectives.
The political crisis took a new turn as reinstated Local Government chairmen and councillors attempted to resume office across the state’s 30 local government councils, citing a court ruling. This move sparked resistance in areas such as Osogbo, the state capital, as well as Ikire and Irewole local government areas, resulting in violent clashes.
Among the casualties was Remi Abbas, one of the reinstated council chairmen, who was reportedly killed during the unrest.
The National Secretary of the APC, Senator Ajibola Basiru, and the Osun State Commissioner for Information, Kolapo Alimi, both appeared on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday to address the situation.
When asked to propose a solution to the ongoing crisis, Senator Basiru stated, “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, Commissioner Alimi vehemently rejected the call, accusing the APC of orchestrating the violence. He said, “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. 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.”
The Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, has ordered the deployment of additional tactical squads to Osun State to bolster security and restore law and order. The police condemned the incidents in strong terms, vowing to bring the perpetrators to justice.
The crisis stems from the attempted takeover of local government offices by reinstated officials, which has further deepened the political divide in the state. While the APC insists that the situation warrants federal intervention, the state government maintains that the call for a state of emergency is a ploy to destabilize Osun.
