The Osun State Caucus of the National Assembly has condemned the criminal take-over of the local government secretariat across the State by the sacked officials who were members of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
There had been tension in the state over plans by the APC to implement the judgement of the Court of Appeal reinstating the sacked local government chairmen elected in 2022 at the twilight of former governor, Gboyega Oyetola’s administration
TheHintsNews reports that that there were two different Federal High Court judgements on the said Local Government Election of 2022.
One of the judgements was on the suit filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which sacked the products of the 2022 gocal government polls, while the other judgment was on the suit filed by the Action Peoples Party (APP), which equally sacked them.
Checks revealed that the two cases were filed differently, at different times by each of the political parties to challenge the propriety or otherwise of the Local Government poll so conducted in the court of competent jurisdiction.
Investigation revealed that though APC appealed the Federal High Court judgment obtained by the PDP on the case, with the Court of Appeal, Akure, on 10th day of February, 2025 struck out the judgement earlier obtained by the PDP at the Federal High Court on technical/jurisdictional ground that the Originating Process of the PDP was filed before the Notice of Election was published by Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSSIEC).
However, the caucus led by Deputy Senate Minority Leader, Lere Oyewumi while addressing a press conference on Monday in Abuja said having observed the breaking of law and order in the last few hours, the address became imminent and indispensable for them as representatives of the people.
He said: “We use this medium to condemn the brazen effrontery of the sacked Local Government Council officials to return to office notwithstanding the yet-to-be-set-aside decision of the Court of Appeal, Akure, against their return to the office.
“Today (Monday), the people of Osun woke up to a criminal take-over of the Local Government Secretariats across Osun State by these sacked officials who forcefully broke into the premises of the councils, aided by thugs and hooligans who have been shooting sporadically, wreaking havoc on the people of the State, thereby breaking law and order.
“Sadly, this is being perpetrated with the support of some security personnel, relying on a different court judgement, despite a subsisting court judgement which upheld the nullification of their purported election.”
The caucus recalled that the state Governor, Sen. Ademola Adeleke had in his world press conference of Sunday, 16th February 2025 appealed to President Bola Tinubu to rein in on the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Oyetola and his alleged attempt to influence the security forces in the state to perpetrate the illegal and forceful takeover.
It added that this desperate act in connivance with security agents was taking its toll as scores of PDP members, local government workers, and other innocent persons have been shot, brutalised, and harassed by APC thugs and security men in the last few hours.
The caucus, therefore, condemned these unfolding acts of state capture through violence, usurpation of constituted authority, abuse of federal power and gross rascality by Oyetola.