Osun State government and the ruling Peoples Democratic Party in the state, on Wednesday, berated the All Progressives Congress and its National Secretary, Senator Ajibola Basiru, over their call on President Bola Tinubu to extend emergency rule imposition to Osun.
The Osun State Commissioner for Information and Civic Engagement, Kolapo Alimi, described the call for emergency rule in the state as callous, self-centred and unlawful.
Similarly, the spokesman for the Osun State PDP, Oladele Bamiji, accused Basiru and the APC of attempting to grab power through the backdoor after being rejected by the people at the polls.
On Tuesday, President Bola Tinubu declared a state of emergency in River State, suspending the governor, Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Ngozi Odu, and the members of the state House of Assembly for six months.
The President also appointed a retired Naval chief, Vice Admiral Ibok-ete Ibas, as the administrator of the state.
The President anchored his decision on the protracted political crisis between the governor and the lawmakers, with militants vandalising oil installations as the lawmakers pushed for the governor’s removal from office.
In a post on X.com following the President’s declaration of emergency rule, Basiru wrote: “Rivers State of Emergency: APC praises Tinubu, demands extension to Osun.”
In Osun State, the ruling PDP and the opposition APC are fighting for the control of the local government.
At the height of the crisis about three weeks ago, at least six persons were killed while the local government secretariats have become non-functional after workers withdrew their safety for fear of being caught up in the middle of political violence.
Backing Basiru, the Osun APC urged President Tinubu to extend emergency rule to Osun State.
Osun APC spokesperson, Kola Olabisi, said the PDP and Governor Ademola Adeleke had committed constitutional breaches that include an alleged attempt to remove the Osun Chief Judge, alleged killings of APC members during the 2022 general elections and disregard for court decisions.
Olabisi said, “The call by the APC National Secretary is in order. There is no constitutional breach that Fubara committed that Adeleke has not done the worst version of it here.
“He made an attempt to remove the Chief Judge; many APC members were killed during the 2022 general elections across the state; he disregarded valid court orders regarding the reinstated LG chairmen in the state.
“Adeleke has committed many constitutional breaches in this state to warrant imposition of emergency rule and we urge President Bola Tinubu to pay attention to what is happening in Osun and stop abuse of office by our governor. Senator Basiru is right and we stand by him.”
But in a strongly-worded statement on Wednesday, the Osun State government rejected the call by Basiru and the APC for a state of emergency in the state as “callous, self-centered and unlawful.”
The state’s Commissioner for Information and Civic Engagement, Kolapo Alimi, insisted that there was a clear difference between the current political development in Rivers and Osun when placed side by side.
