Osun Crisis Escalates, Ex LG Chairman, 7 Others Killed, APC Calls for State of Emergency

 

 

The political crisis rocking Osun State has further assumed a more dangerous dimension as confrontation between the supporters of both the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state has led to the death of at least eight persons.

Among those who have been confirmed killed is the former Chairman of Irewole Local Government Area, Mr. Remi Abbas.

Several local government secretariats including, Boripe, Ilesa-West, Obokun, Odo-Otin, Iwo, Ayedaade, Isokan, and Irewole LGAs among others were on Monday morning invaded by loyalists of the APC who said they were going to resume duty as elected Chairmen and councilors on the strength a purported Appeal Court ruling that restored their mandate.

There have claims and counter claims from both parties on who is culpable for the violence that is fast spreading across the state.

However, in a move to stop the chairmen, thugs suspected to be loyal to the PDP in the affected areas stormed the offices and were shooting sporadically into the air.

In an attempt to resist them, another set of thugs suspected to be loyal to the APC countered the move, which resulted in casualties.

In a media statement, the Osun State PDP Director of Media, Mr. Hezekiah Oladele Bamiji, pointed fingers at the leadership of the APC in the state for wantonly instigating violence in many local government across the state.

According to the PDP spokesman, “In Boripe, particularly in Iragbiji, two PDP members, Damilare Olumide (Ege) and Oyebamiji Taiwo, were gruesomely murdered. Over twenty others sustained injuries while preparing for a political rally.”

“The violence escalated in Ilesa West, where APC thugs stormed a PDP rally and opened fire indiscriminately. Several chieftains, including Hon. Tunde Ẹjẹ and Hon. Kasali, were seriously injured, along with an innocent vendor.”

Slain Ex Chairman, Remi Abbas

“We will not be intimidated. Justice must be served,” Bamiji declared.

In a counter press conference in Osogbo, the Osun State  APC Chairman, Tajudeen Lawal also accused Governor Ademola Adeleke of targeting APC members following an Appeal Court ruling reinstating the party’s sacked local government chairmen.

The APC Chairman called for the immediate proscription of Amotekun in the state as according the regional security outfit in the state has been turned to an oppressive tool against opposition political actors oiin the state.

“Amotekun has become a political weapon in Osun. The Inspector General of Police must act,” the APC chairman demanded.

“They are killing our people. Hon. Remi Abass, the elected chairman of Irewole Local Government, was murdered this morning by gunmen.”

“PDP thugs, led by a House of Assembly member, fired at my vehicle. The bullet holes are visible.”

Call for State of Emergency

In another twist, the National Secretary of the APC, Senator Ajibola Basiru ON Monday night called on President Bola Tinubu to declare a state of emergency in Osun State as a way of de-escalating the violence ripping through the state.

Featuring on Channels TV programme, Politics Today, Senator Bashiru said, “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 a swift counter, the Osun State Commissioner for Information, Kolapo Alimi, who was paired in the programme with Senator Bashiru said  that the position of the APC National Secretary was a testimony that the APC planned the violence in order to orchestrate a a situation that will culminate into state of emergency to enable the APC take Osun State through the backdoor.

Mr. Alimi while countering the APC Secretary called on President Bola Tinubu to ignore the request for state of emergency, “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 commissioner stated.