|By Chinwendu Nwani
Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has firmly rejected calls for the declaration of a state of emergency in the state, describing the agitation as a desperate and failed attempt by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to reclaim power through undemocratic means.
Adeleke was reacting to appeals by some civil society groups urging emergency rule over recent political tensions in the state. The governor dismissed the groups as “faceless” and accused them of acting as proxies for former governor, Gboyega Oyetola, and the APC governorship candidate, Bola Oyebamiji.
In a statement issued on Saturday in Osogbo, Adeleke alleged that the APC remains the central trigger of unrest in Osun, accusing the opposition party of paralysing local government administration, illegally occupying council secretariats, mismanaging council funds, and deploying security operatives without lawful authority.
The governor said the actions of the former governor and his associates had turned them into “the most hated political actors in Osun,” particularly at the grassroots level.
According to Adeleke, the forceful takeover of local councils and alleged diversion of funds were calculated moves aimed at provoking violence and shifting blame to his administration.
“The APC seized local government funds, mismanaged them, and forcefully occupied the councils, all in a bid to provoke conflict. This is a deliberate plot to destabilise Osun and malign the Adeleke-led government,” he stated.
Adeleke insisted that his administration has maintained peace and order in the state despite what he described as persistent provocation and blatant illegality by APC-aligned actors. He argued that the renewed call for emergency rule only surfaced after the opposition’s alleged destabilisation agenda collapsed.
“Osun APC has failed in its evil bid to throw the state into chaos. Their call for emergency declaration has no basis, justification, or constitutional grounding,” the governor said.
He faulted attempts to link his administration to the crisis, stressing that the tension stemmed from the continued occupation of local government councils by APC-backed chairmen whose tenures, he said, had long expired.
The governor further accused the APC of hijacking local government allocations in violation of financial regulations, noting that his government intervened to pay council workers who were allegedly abandoned.
Adeleke said his approach to managing the crisis has attracted commendations from various stakeholders, adding that Osun has moved past the era of politically induced violence.
“No individual or group will be allowed to disrupt the peace of Osun State. Anyone found instigating violence will face the full wrath of the law,” he warned.
He disclosed that he had directed the state Commissioner of Police to closely monitor the situation and prevent any breakdown of law and order, while also drawing the attention of the Inspector-General of Police to developments in the state.
The governor also appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene by cautioning former governor Oyetola, warning that his actions could negatively affect the image of the Presidency.
Adeleke concluded by stressing that political power must be secured through the ballot and not through what he described as “backdoor arrangements.”
“Those seeking power must face the electorate. Democracy does not recognise shortcuts,” he said.
