Amid the political crisis over the control of local government administration in Osun State, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, has ordered tactical police units to remain stationed at local government secretariats for the next two months to prevent further clashes.......CONTINUE READING THE ARTICLE FROM THE SOURCE>>>>>
A senior police source, who spoke on condition of anonymity with Punch, confirmed that the deployed officers had a directive to maintain security and prevent any unlawful occupation of the secretariats.
APC Moves To Freeze LG Accounts
The crisis escalated on Sunday as the All Progressives Congress (APC) vowed to prevent the newly sworn-in local government chairmen of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from accessing council funds.
Naija News reports that this development follows the swearing-in of PDP candidates, who won the Saturday local government elections, amid APC’s boycott of the polls.
The APC, citing a recent Court of Appeal judgment, claims that its previously sacked local government chairmen, elected in 2022, have been reinstated.
A former Special Adviser on Education to ex-Governor Gboyega Oyetola, Jamiu Olawumi, said the APC leadership would instruct banks not to allow PDP-elected officials to access local government accounts.
“We will write to all the regional managers of banks in Osun to tell them that there has been a change of leadership in the local governments.
“We will notify them that very soon, we will approach them to effect a change of signatories to the accounts of councils. Any regional manager who sides with the PDP chairmen is doing so at their own risk,” Olawumi said.
He further described the newly sworn-in PDP chairmen as “persona non grata” and warned financial institutions against granting them access to public funds.
Adeleke Orders PDP Chairmen To Delay Office Resumption
At the swearing-in ceremony on Sunday, Governor Ademola Adeleke directed the new PDP local government chairmen and councillors to delay resuming office at the secretariats to avoid confrontation with APC-backed officials who had earlier forcefully occupied the premises.
Adeleke accused security agencies of aiding APC’s illegal occupation of the councils and urged his party’s elected officials to exercise patience.
PDP Dismisses APC’s Threats
In response to APC’s moves, the Osun PDP Director of Media, Oladele Bamiji, dismissed the threats as empty rhetoric, insisting that the newly elected PDP chairmen were the legitimate leaders of the local governments.
“We don’t think they (APC) would be so unreasonable. There are litigations here and there, and unless they want to start another controversy, they should follow due process,” Bamiji said.
He emphasized that local government administration involved more than just the chairmen, stating, “The local government does not just stop at the local council alone; there are other layers of governance that deal with local government administration.”
Security sources confirmed to Punch that operatives from the IGP’s tactical units deployed to Osun would remain in the state until further notice to ensure law and order at the local government secretariats.
