Yinka Kolawole in Osogbo
The Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to rescue the people of the state from the scourge of political “tyrants in the corridor of power, who since November 2022 have been threatening law-abiding citizens of the state.”
The APC also called on heads of security agencies in the country, particularly Inspector General of Police (IG), Kayode Egbetokun, to come to the aid of its members who have been alleged to arbitrarily blacklist them for series of violent attacks by the state government.
This is even as members of the opposition frowned at the protracted shutdown of the courts in the state by the state Governor, Ademola Adeleke led-government, describing the action as “inhuman” and a security threat given high number of lawsuits that would have been adjudicated and disposed for justice.
The opposition party made the appeals yesterday while briefing journalists on development capable of plunging the state into avoidable crises.
Addressing a press conference held at the Tinubu/Shettima Campaign Office, Ogo-Oluwa in Osogbo, the APC state Chairman, Alhaji Tajudeen Lawal, said the call was necessary in order to nip in the bud the alleged plot of “Governor Adeleke and his co-travelers to harass, kidnap and kill leaders and members of the APC in order to silence the voice of the opposition.”
Lawal described the ‘White Paper’ purportedly issued by Governor Adeleke as a “mere smokescreen,” saying the motive was aimed at “diverting the attention of the public from asking pertinent questions regarding the looting carnival and grossly irresponsible conduct of the mediocre and political charlatans in the seat of power in Abere.”
According to him, “The taskforce secretly set up by Governor Adeleke and peopled by the PDP thugs and notorious criminals on the wanted list of the police have been billed to forcefully retrieve some vehicles duly approved for past government functionaries.”
He said the decision of the government is to further provoke the law-abiding citizens, injure them and precipitate violence in the state.
“On the threat to lives and property of the leaders and members of the All Progressives Congress, security reports available to us revealed that the handlers of the state government will anytime from now carry out the evil plan by hiding under the excuse of implementing the White Paper recently issued by the state government.
“Recall in March 2023 during a similar press briefing to mark the 100 days in office of Governor Adeleke, we informed the esteemed public how the current government in the state squandered the N90 billion revenue accrued to it, since that time, the state government has made more money (N200billion including money to the local government areas), and our party has not backed down from its noble role of exposing the rot in the Adeleke administration.
“Our profound insistence that Governor Adeleke should disclose the identities of the contractors handling major projects in the state has continued to enrage the government and necessitated the plot to clamp down on our members, especially those who served in the government of former Governor, Adegboyega Oyetola, and members of our media team,” Lawal alleged.
He added: “We use this medium to call on President Tinubu and the Inspector-General of Police to intervene in the brewing situation in the state.”
