Tension in Osun as APC Members Resume Office Amidst Resistance

Babatunji Wusu –

• APC officials resumed office at the Boripe Local Government Secretariat in Iragbiji on Monday.
• Tension rose as APC members attempted to take over the Olorunda Local Government Secretariat, Osogbo, but were resisted.
• Armed police, NSCDC operatives, and Amotekun Corps were deployed to maintain order.
• Two individuals recording the events were beaten and had their phones smashed.
• Osun State Commissioner urged PDP members to remain peaceful.

On Monday, officials elected under the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the October 15, 2022, Local Government elections in Osun State resumed at the Boripe Local Government Secretariat in Iragbiji. However, in a tense confrontation, APC members seeking to take over the Olorunda Local Government Secretariat in Osogbo faced strong resistance.

At the scene, armed police operatives were stationed at the junction leading to the Olorunda secretariat, while members of the APC who had gathered there were dispersed. The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and Amotekun Corps operatives were also deployed to the area, attempting to calm agitated members of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), who had gathered at the entrance of the secretariat. The gate to the secretariat remained locked, with no one allowed entry.

During the standoff, two individuals suspected of recording the incident from a nearby building were beaten, and their phones were smashed by hoodlums wielding charms. In an effort to defuse the situation, Osun State Commissioner for Rural Development, Mr. Gani Olaoluwa, addressed the PDP members, urging them to maintain peace. He emphasized that there would be no illegal takeover, stating that no court judgment had authorized such actions.