A coalition of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in Osun State has urged President Bola Tinubu to declare a state of emergency in the state over the lingering crisis surrounding control of local government councils.
The groups — the Centre for Justice Initiatives (CJI), Community Advocacy and Initiative for Local Government Development (ILGD), and the Centre for Justice and Community Advocacy, Nigeria (CJCAN) — made the call on Saturday, claiming that constitutional and political mechanisms have failed to resolve the dispute between the state government and the All Progressives Congress (APC).
However, Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke swiftly rejected the demand, accusing the groups of pursuing hidden interests that are harmful to the state’s stability and development.
In a statement signed by Kanyinsola Adebayo, spokesperson for the Community Advocacy and Initiative for Local Government Development, the coalition accused Adeleke of what it described as a “continued in a brazen and dangerous disregard for the judgments of Appeal and Supreme Courts,” which they said recognised APC-backed chairmen and councillors as the legitimate local government officials.
The coalition argued that Osun’s constitutional order had broken down, blaming the situation on alleged misinterpretation and defiance of court rulings by the state government, as well as unlawful interference in council administration.
“By these actions, the Osun State Government has effectively placed itself above the Constitution. This is not a political disagreement; it is a constitutional breakdown,” the statement read.
It added that, under Section 1(3) of the Constitution, actions inconsistent with the Constitution are null and void, insisting that governance in Osun was no longer being conducted in line with constitutional provisions.
“We call on the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to declare a state of emergency in Osun State, strictly within the confines of the Constitution, for the purpose of restoring the rule of law, enforcing court judgments, and protecting innocent citizens,” the coalition said.
Responding, Governor Adeleke, in a statement signed by his spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, described the call for emergency rule as “a continuation of the failed plot by the Osun APC leadership to seize power through the backdoor after their consistent failure to win the support of Osun people.”
The governor accused the APC of deliberately fuelling the crisis, alleging that the party was responsible for the non-release of local government funds and the forceful takeover of council secretariats in an attempt to provoke unrest.
“This is a deliberate strategy to create chaos and blame it on the Adeleke-led administration,” he said.
Adeleke questioned attempts to hold his government responsible for the situation, saying, “How can any sane person blame Governor Adeleke when it was the APC illegal chairmen who had criminally hijacked the local government and who had refused to quit office after the expiration of their self-awarded tenure?”
He warned those he described as agents of violence and directed the state Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Gothan, to closely monitor and prevent any plot to plunge Osun into crisis.
The governor also called on the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to closely follow developments in the state and deploy security personnel where necessary.
Osun’s local government system has remained mired in crisis following prolonged disputes between the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the APC over control of the councils.
The conflict previously turned deadly, with the former chairman of Irewole Local Government Area, Remi Abbas, and five others killed during violent clashes between supporters of both parties across the state.
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