The Osun State Government yesterday condemned the All Progressives Congress (APC)’s call for President Bola Tinubu to declare a state of emergency in the state following the crisis over local government administration.
APC National Secretary Ajibola Basiru on Tuesday welcomed Tinubu’s “positive decision” to declare a state of emergency “to restore order to Rivers, which was fast becoming a failed state”.
He added: “It is hoped that Osun Governor (Ademola Adeleke) takes a cue from this development and allows the court reinstated local government councils to operate as otherwise a state of emergency may also be imposed.”
However, the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, dismissed Basiru’s comment as “callous, self-centred and unlawful”. He argued that the political situations in Rivers and Osun states were not comparable, warning Basiru and the APC against destabilising the state in a bid to reclaim power through the backdoor.
Alimi insisted that Osun remains stable and does not warrant emergency intervention. He said: “The state government views this call as callous, self-centred and unlawful, going by the fact that there’s a world of difference between the current political development in Rivers and Osun when placed side by side.”
The commissioner added: “While the call, no doubt stems from a demented mind as is the case with Ajibola Basiru is, recall that the same Basiru in the not too recent past made a similar call when I engaged him on a national television station on the yes/no local government chairmen in Osun.
“It must, however, be emphasised that not only Basiru alone holds this senseless and obnoxious impression but the entire APC cohorts and their members/followers in Osun, who on a daily basis, are scheming for one mischievous device or the other in order to come through the backdoor to take the reins of governance in Osun State but by the grace of God and with the support of the people for the Adeleke administration, all the evil machinations against the people-oriented government will not see the light of the day.
“We call on President Tinubu to see through the antics of people like Ajibola Basiru, a rejected and frustrated politician and his already rejected APC apologists in Osun, by rejecting the wicked and baseless call for the declaration of the state of emergency in Osun.
“For any political observers in Osun state, it’s very clear that Osun APC lacks the popularity, political acceptance and sagacity to face and defeat Adeleke in any election, hence their resort to all forms of antics to get to power through the backdoor.
“One of such antics was their failed attempt to cause mayhem in the state through enforcement of a non-existence Court of Appeal judgment to reinstate their yes/no chairmen and councillors. “With that enforcement of non-existence judgment, they almost put Osun into a state of anarchy.”
