In a brazen attempt to undermine the democratic process, the All Progressives Congress (APC) has sparked outrage by calling on President Tinubu to declare a state of emergency in Osun State. Governor Ademola Adeleke has swiftly condemned the APC’s move, denouncing it as a thinly veiled ploy to legitimize violence and subvert the will of the people. As tensions escalate, the APC’s actions have raised urgent concerns about the erosion of democratic norms and the rule of law in Nigeria, prompting fears that the country’s fragile democracy is under threat.
On Wednesday, the Osun State government and the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) criticized the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its National Secretary, Senator Ajibola Basiru, for calling on President Bola Tinubu to extend the imposition of emergency rule to Osun State.
The Osun State Commissioner for Information and Civic Engagement, Kolapo Alimi, condemned the call for emergency rule in the state, describing it as callous, self-centered, and unlawful.
Similarly, Osun State PDP spokesman, Oladele Bamiji, accused Basiru and the APC of attempting to seize power through the backdoor after being rejected by the people at the polls.
Meanwhile, on Tuesday, President Bola Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers State, suspending Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Ngozi Odu, and members of the State House of Assembly for six months.
The President also appointed retired Naval Chief, Vice Admiral Ibok-ete Ibas, as the state administrator.
He based his decision on the ongoing political crisis between the governor and lawmakers, citing reports of militants vandalizing oil installations amid the lawmakers’ push for the governor’s removal from office.
Following the President’s declaration of emergency rule, Basiru took to X.com, stating:
“Rivers State of Emergency: APC praises Tinubu, demands extension to Osun.”
Meanwhile, in Osun State, the ruling PDP and the opposition APC are locked in a fierce battle for control of the local government.
At the peak of the crisis about three weeks ago, at least six people were killed, and local government secretariats became non-functional as workers withdrew for fear of being caught in political violence.
Supporting Basiru, the Osun APC called on President Tinubu to extend emergency rule to Osun State.
Osun APC spokesperson, Kola Olabisi, accused the PDP and Governor Ademola Adeleke of multiple constitutional breaches, including an alleged attempt to remove the Osun Chief Judge, alleged killings of APC members during the 2022 general elections, and disregard for court rulings.
Olabisi stated, “The call by the APC National Secretary is justified. There is no constitutional breach committed by Fubara that Adeleke has not exceeded with even worse violations 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.”
In a strongly-worded statement on Wednesday, the Osun State government dismissed Basiru and the APC’s call for a state of emergency, labeling it “callous, self-centered, and unlawful.”
The Commissioner for Information and Civic Engagement, Kolapo Alimi, emphasized that the political situation in Rivers State and Osun were distinct and could not be directly compared.
Alimi further urged Basiru and the APC not to disrupt the peace and stability currently enjoyed in Osun in a desperate bid to seize power through the backdoor.
“I have read what the overambitious and loud-mouthed National Secretary of the APC, Senator Ajibola Basiru, said concerning the need for the declaration of a state of emergency to be extended by President Bola Tinubu as done in Rivers State last night to Osun State.
“While the call, no doubt, stems from a demented mind, it will be recalled that the same Basiru had in the not too recent past made a similar call when I engaged him on a national television station on the Yes-No local government chairmen in Osun State.
“It must, however, be emphasised that not only Basiru alone holds this senseless and obnoxious impression but the entire APC cohorts and their members and followers in Osun state, who, on a daily basis, are scheming for one mischievous device or the other in order to come through the backdoor to take the reigns of governance in Osun State; but by the grace of God and with the support of the people of Osun State for the administration of Ademola Adeleke, all the evil machinations against the people-oriented government of Ademola Adeleke will not see the light of the day.”
The commissioner urged the President to see through the antics of what he described as “rejected and frustrated politicians” and to dismiss their baseless call for a state of emergency in Osun.
“For any political observers in Osun State, it’s very clear that the Osun APC lacks the popularity, political acceptance and sagacity to face and defeat Ademola Adeleke in any election, hence their resort to all forms of antics to get to power through the backdoor. One of such antics was their failed attempt to cause mayhem in the state through enforcement of a non-existent Court of Appeal judgment to reinstate their Yes-No chairmen and councillors. With that enforcement of the non-existent judgment, they almost put Osun into a state of anarchy.
“However, Governor Adeleke, being a man of peace and of the people, saw this coming, hence, the directive given to the duly elected local government chairmen in the state not to go to their various LG secretariats after the swearing-in ceremony. Had Governor Adeleke not been proactive and guided by great wisdom, only God would have known what the APC could have turned the state into while carrying out their awada Keri keri (comedy show) in the various LG secretariats of our dear state.”
Accusing the APC of attempting to destabilize Osun State, Alimi noted that three cases concerning the local government control dispute between the state government and Osun APC are still pending in court.
“With all these, couldn’t Basiru read in between the lines that the matters at hand are all legal issues, which should also be resolved through the court as opposed to calling for the declaration of the state of emergency?”
Likewise, rejecting the call for a state of emergency in Osun, Osun PDP spokesman, Bamiji, condemned Basiru’s demand as reckless, emphasizing that the political situation in Rivers was not comparable to that of Osun.
“We take exception to the outrageous call by the former Senator and the National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress calling for the imposition of a state of emergency on Osun State. I think that statement was not only reckless but dangerous and demeaning of Mr Basiru’s standing, at least as a former senator and the national scribe of the APC.” Bamiji state.
The PDP dismissed Basiru’s call for a state of emergency in Osun as a ploy by the APC to seize power through the backdoor.
Bamiji stated, “To us and the observing public, it appears the APC has discovered a new shortcut to reclaim states where they have been defeated and rejected. Perhaps they are drawing inspiration from the Rivers situation, which was influenced by the President’s pronouncement yesterday and is now facing widespread opposition. I wonder if Mr. Basiru is paying attention to the reactions from various sectors of the country.”
“Rivers is different from Osun. The political logjam there is different from what we have here. There is nothing near a breakdown of governance in Osun State. The state government is running well. The state Assembly is there and the judiciary has no problem.
“We cannot now say because there are issues being trashed out at the local government, which is normal in politics anywhere in the world. There would always be altercations here and there. So, the national secretary of the APC should not be creating the impression that they can lose the election in the open field and take such state back through the backdoor, especially, through the force of the state of emergency.”
The Fount 
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