Politics

IG Squads Occupy Secretariats As Osun LG Poll Crisis Rages

Published

6 months ago

February 24, 2025

Editor

As the political crisis in Osun State over the control of local government continues to rage, the tactical squad deployed by the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, will remain at the LG secretariats, The PUNCH has gathered.

An impeccable source in the police, who spoke anonymously for lack of authorisation, said the tactical team had the IG’s mandate to man the secretariats for two months.

The political crisis deepened on Sunday as the All Progressives Congress vowed to take measures to prevent newly sworn-in local government chairmen of the Peoples Democractic Party from accessing council funds.

This comes after Governor Ademola Adeleke swore in the chairmen and councillors elected in Saturday’s local government election.

In the Saturday election, candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party won in all the Osun local government, the APC having withdrawn from the exercise.

The APC had cited a recent Court of Appeal judgment, reportedly reinstating the APC LG chairmen elected and sacked in 2022.

The APC LG chairmen had last week taken over the LG secretariat, insisting that they had been reinstated.

Though the Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) and the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, warned against the conduct of a fresh LG poll, referencing the appeal court judgment, reinstating the APC LG chairmen, Governor Adeleke went on to conduct the fresh LG poll on Saturday.

At the swearing-in on Sunday, Adeleke directed the new PDP LG chairmen and councillors not to resume yet at their various council areas, to prevent clashes with “those whom the police had aided to forcefully occupy the local government secretariats.”

Meanwhile, a leader of the APC in Osun confided in The PUNCH that they would write to the banks to freeze the accounts of the local government, so that the new PDP LG chairmen would not have access to funds.

Speaking on the steps the APC will take against the new PDP LG chairmen, a former Special Adviser on Education to ex-Governor Gboyega Oyetola, Mr Jamiu Olawumi, told The PUNCH that the reinstated chairmen and their councillors would move to stop the PDP chairmen from accessing the funds of the councils.

He also said the chairmen would issue a directive for council workers to resume duty under the leadership of APC-elected chairmen, who were declared winners in the October 15, 2022, election.

“We will continue to go to the office. We will write to all the regional managers of banks in Osun to tell them that there has been a change of leadership in the local governments.

“We want to notify them that very soon, we will approach them to effect a change of signatories to the accounts of councils,” Olawumi stated.

He warned banks against recognising the PDP chairmen, describing them as “persona non grata,” and cautioned that any financial institution that took sides with them did so at its risk.

“We also implore regional managers of banks in Osun State not to join them in any game that can cause them imprisonment because power has changed in the local government, enforced by the Federal Government as a result of the Court of Appeal judgment.

“They should not deal with ward congress men of the PDP. They are persona non-grata. They don’t have any access to the local governments. So, any regional manager who sides with them is doing it at the risk of his bank and his job.

“We are ready to fight for this as we have always done. The appeal to the general public is to continue to transact with the local governments.

“Chairmen and secretaries are there to attend to you in a peaceful atmosphere that has been provided by the law of Nigeria and the Federal Government,” Olawumi said.

Olawumi also said the chairmen would recall local government staff who had since Monday stayed away from their duty posts to avoid being caught in the web of the political crisis in the state.

“We will also place a public service announcement that all local government officials should resume work.

“We are aware of the instruction of Governor Ademola Adeleke to his ward congress election winners that they are calling chairmen of local government that they should not go to office tomorrow (Monday) until there is peace.

“There is peace already because the Court of Appeal has given us peace in Osun. It is only the government of Osun under his leadership that is rupturing the peace.

“Also, they can’t come to the council because there is no vacancy in the local governments. Our appeal to the career leadership of the local governments is to call their colleagues who are staff of local governments to resume.

“The Federal Government has provided enough security and it’s adequate for us,” he said.

Responding, the Osun PDP Director of Media, Oladele Bamiji, dismissed APC’s plans as mere wishes.

He said, “We don’t think that they would be so unreasonable. There are litigations here and there unless they want to start another controversy. If they do anything contrary to what is on the ground, we will now see what to do.

“I just hope they know what they are doing because the local government does not just stop at the local council alone; there are other layers of governance that deal with local government, and I hope they realise that local government is not just about the chairman alone.

“We have other civil servants that are also signatories to the account. All this gallivanting does not show them as moderate or civilised enough to even know the procedures in the administration of the local government they are trying to administer,” he said.

The PDP spokesman added, “We are ready for everything, and we will be treating every issue as it comes. Where we are is where we are. The election has been held, winners have emerged, and we take things up from there.”

Multiple security sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity to The PUNCH said operatives attached to the tactical teams of the Inspector General of Police, who were deployed in the state would remain in Osogbo until further notice.

This, the sources said, was to ensure security at local government secretariats in the state.
(PUNCH)

Related Topics:Osun Osun LG Crisis Osun LG poll

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Politics

Osun LG Crisis: INEC To Relocate CVR Centres, Releases Gov Poll Timetable

Published

3 hours ago

August 13, 2025

Editor

The Independent National Electoral Commission in Osun State said it will relocate registration points for the forthcoming Continuous Voter Registration exercise from local government secretariats currently under lock.

Osun LG secretariats have been shut since February 17, 2025, due to a tussle between the Peoples Democratic Party and the All Progressives Congress over control of councils.

The APC had claimed that the February 10, 2025, decision of the Court of Appeal, Akure, had returned its candidates elected in the October 15, 2022, local government elections, but sacked by the Osogbo Federal High Court in December 2022.

But the PDP insisted that the officials who emerged on February 22, 2025, are legally recognised to manage the affairs of council areas in the state.

Speaking during a stakeholders’ meeting in Osogbo, the state capital, on Wednesday, the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dr Mutiu Agboke, said the affected INEC offices had been identified and would be moved to alternative locations to ensure the CVR proceeds without disruption.

Agboke said, “The CVR will start on the 18th day of August, 2025, with online registration.

“By this, the prospective registrant will visit www.cvr.inecnigeria.org to supply the necessary information about himself or herself.

“Thereafter, he or she will generate a slip to take to INEC local government office within his place of residence.

“Later on the 25th of August 2025, the registrant will visit the local government office for his or her biometrics, i.e the fingerprint and the facial.

“INEC offices located inside local government secretariats are not shut down.

“However, INEC has harvested the number of those local government offices. We want to bring them out of the LG secretariats. We are working on that. Our headquarters had requested for their details and we have forwarded to them.”

Agboke also announced that activities for the August 8, 2026, Osun governorship election have officially begun, with notices posted in all INEC LG offices.

Party primaries are scheduled between November 24 and December 15, 2025, while submission of candidates’ particulars will run from January 15 to February 9, 2026.

He stated, “This is necessary to enable political parties democratically nominate candidates for the election as required by section 84 of the Electoral Act, 2022. The submission of forms EC9 ( personal particulars of candidates) and EC9B (Names/list of nominated candidates) online at the nomination portal of the commission at 9 am on the 15th day of January, 2026, to 6 pm on the 9th February 2026.

“Access code for the submission of nomination forms shall be available for collection on 15th December, 2025, at the headquarters of the commission. I implore all the political parties and other stakeholders to follow the timetable for the 2026 Governorship Election for Osun State with a view to tracking the various activities contained therein. Copies of the timetable shall be made available to the political parties at this meeting in a short while. The 2026 Governorship election shall be conducted on the 8th day of August,2026.”

He appealed to political parties and other major stakeholders to work against the menace of vote buying, saying the electorate should be educated not to sell their votes.

The REC also called on all stakeholders to continue supporting INEC in the state for it to deliver a credible election, noting that the commission alone cannot deliver a peaceful and successful election without their cooperation.
(PUNCH)

Politics

JUST IN: Total Loyalty Non-negotiable, PDP Tells Members

Published

4 hours ago

August 13, 2025

Editor

The Peoples Democratic Party has warned that it will not tolerate disloyalty from any member, stressing that total commitment to the party’s cause is non-negotiable.

Speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Wednesday, PDP National Publicity Secretary Debo Ologunagba said the party will rely on its constitution to ensure members remain committed to its cause.

Responding to a question about the recent conditions set by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, for the success of the November 15 and 16 National Elective Convention, Ologunagba emphasised that the PDP is about the people, not any individual.

He said, “We have zero tolerance for anti-party activities. We expect and demand total loyalty from all our members. Anything short of that will not be tolerated, and we shall invoke the relevant sections of the party’s constitution to enforce this.”

Details shortly…

Politics

By-Election: APC Correcting PDP 8 Years Of Underdevelopment In Edo, Days Idahosa

Published

1 day ago

August 12, 2025

Editor

The deputy governor of Edo State, Hon. Dennis Idahosa says the Monday Okpebholo-led All Progressives Congress (APC) administration in the state is correcting the eight years wrong of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state.

Idahosa, however, urged more support for the administration and the APC to attract more developmental projects across the nook and cranny of the state.

Idahosa made this statement when the campaign train stormed Usen and Ugbogui wards of Ovia South West Local Government Area.

He urged the people to come out enmass to exercise their civic duty on Saturday in support of the APC candidate, Hon. Omosede Igbinedion.

Idahosa said support for the party would mean more developmental projects for the area that had lacked same from the immediate past administration of the PDP.

“The present APC government led by Sen. Monday Okpebholo is the one that has started transforming your area within nine months in the office.

“He can only do more with your support, especially by voting for his party’s candidate on Saturday,” he pleaded.

On her part, the APC candidate, Omosede Igbinedion, promised to synergise with the governor his deputy to attract more developmental projects to the constituency.

Similarly, the state’s Commissioner for Education, Paddy Iyamu, said the government has put measures in place to ensure no students is sent home for want of school fee.

According to him, the state government has concluded plans to pay bursaries for students while market women would enjoy soft loans.

Meanwhile, Elawure of Usen, Ovia south west local government ,have advised Politicians to be united in their pursuit of common goal of delivery dividends of democracy to the people.

Oluogbe II gave this advise when he received the campaign team of the All Progressives Congress (APC) led by the state deputy governor, Hon. Dennis Idahosa.

The traditional ruler expressed joy in the unity between Idahosa and the APC candidate for the Ovia federal constituency bye-election scheduled Saturday, Hon. Omosede Igbinedion.

He noted that the present unity and synergy between the former political foe would bring nothing but victory for their party, as well as development to the people of the federal constituency.