Osun Govt Raises Alarm Over Alleged Plan To Attack LG Councils, Motor Parks

Tensions Mount in Osun Over Local Government Security

Barely a week after the August 15 governorship election, Osun State is grappling with fresh security concerns as the state government and the main opposition party issue contrasting warnings over the safety of local government councils and motor parks.

The Osun State Government has raised the alarm over alleged plans by some stakeholders to ignite fresh crises across local government councils and motor parks, with the administration expressing concern over what it described as immediate post-election disruptions in parts of the state. In a statement issued on Sunday by the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Oluomo Kolapo Alimi, the government described reports of planned unrest as 'particularly disturbing.'

"The government is particularly disturbed by reports of plans by some stakeholders to ignite fresh rounds of crisis across local government councils and motor parks across the state," the statement read. "This plan, if true, should stop immediately in the interest of public peace. Osun needs peace for development, not violence in politics."

The government also expressed condolences to victims of pre-election tensions and violence, calling for a period of healing and reconciliation. It urged all political actors to "speak and act peacefully" and to avoid a return to what it called the "pre-election era of killings and violence."

APC Warns Against Forced Removals

Hours later, the state's All Progressives Congress (APC) chairman, Sooko Tajudeen Lawal, warned that the responsibility of the police is to protect lives and property, and that nobody should be attacked, intimidated or forcibly removed "under the guise of political disagreement."

Lawal, through a statement issued by the party's Director of Media and Information, Mogaji Kola Olabisi, said the APC-led Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) administrations are the current occupants of council premises, and that political differences should not be used to justify their removal by force.

"The APC-led ALGON local government administrations are the current occupants of these council premises," the statement noted. "The responsibility of the police is to protect lives and property and guarantee their safety. Nobody should be attacked, intimidated or forcibly removed under the guise of political disagreement."

Lawal called on security agencies to protect council officials and workers irrespective of political affiliation, and urged the government to provide credible intelligence to security agencies for investigation and appropriate action rather than making public statements.

Calls for Restraint and Dialogue

Amid the escalating rhetoric, both parties have made overtures toward peace. The Osun State Government referenced recent political developments involving President Bola Tinubu and Governor Ademola Adeleke, noting that the two had engaged on a peaceful way forward following the election. The government called on security agencies to restore law and order, including the release of political detainees and an end to what it called 'perceived partisan policing' in the management of local government councils and motor parks.

The APC chairman, meanwhile, urged security agencies to deploy adequate personnel to local government secretariats and to intensify surveillance and preventive deployment around sensitive locations. He cautioned political actors against provocative statements, warning that "Osun cannot afford another cycle of political violence" and that "no political victory is worth the blood, freedom or property of any citizen."

Post-Election Violence and Accusations

The warnings follow reports of violence in the aftermath of the election. According to a report by SaharaReporters, members and supporters of the Accord Party were attacked on Monday, August 17, during an alleged attempt to take over the Ilesa East Local Government Secretariat. The attack occurred two days after the election in which Governor Adeleke, of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), secured a second term in office. A video obtained by SaharaReporters reportedly showed Accord Party supporters running in different directions as gunshots rang out.

Separately, SaharaReporters also reported that the Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Adewale Olumide Egbedun, accused the state Commissioner of Police, CP Ibrahim Gotan, of directing officers to adopt a 'shoot-on-sight' policy against anyone found within local government council premises. The allegation was made in a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Olamide Tiamiyu, on Tuesday, August 18. Egbedun also recalled previous public allegations of a 'killer squad' within the police, an allegation the Inspector-General of Police had earlier denied.

The developments come at a delicate time for Osun State, with both the government and the APC calling for calm while trading warnings over the possibility of orchestrated unrest. The state government has called on all residents to support the restoration of peaceful coexistence and "rule-based interactions" among all sectors of society.