A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State, Olatunbosun Oyintiloye, has appealed to President Bola Tinubu to intervene in the brewing tension over a recent Court of Appeal ruling concerning local government elections in the state.
Speaking with journalists on Sunday in Osogbo, Oyintiloye expressed concern that misinterpretation of Friday's court ruling has already begun generating tension across the state's 30 local government areas.
Court Ruling Sparks Controversy
The controversy stems from the Court of Appeal in Akure's decision to strike out a request by the APC to relist its appeal against a 2022 Federal High Court judgment that had nullified local government elections conducted on October 22, 2022.
Oyintiloye, a former lawmaker, clarified that while the court struck out the APC's request, it did not nullify a February 10 judgment that had reinstated APC chairmen and councillors to their positions.
"The misinterpretation given to the ruling by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the state government may result in crisis across the 30 local government areas in the state if not quickly checked," he warned.
Fears of Potential Violence
The APC chieftain expressed particular concern about the state government's interpretation that they now have control of the local government areas, and their planned invasion of the secretariats on Monday.
"Crisis is obvious because the elected APC chairmen and councillors would resist any unlawful invasion of the secretariats, which they are currently occupying," Oyintiloye stated.
He recalled that the loss of lives during a similar crisis on February 17 was still fresh in residents' minds, emphasizing that such incidents should not be allowed to recur.
Call for Presidential Intervention
"We don't want any bloodshed in the state again, and that is why I am calling on the President to intervene swiftly to avoid loss of lives," Oyintiloye appealed.
He suggested that the only way to avert crisis would be for President Tinubu to order the deployment of additional security agencies to the state.
"The open declaration by PDP members to invade the council secretariats in the state on Monday can lead to mayhem, and that is not what we need at the moment," he added.
Legal Process Still Ongoing
Oyintiloye noted that the Osun State government is already before the Supreme Court challenging its inability to access local government allocation.
"It is therefore expected of the government to wait for the apex court to take final decision on it," he said, emphasizing that both the state government and the PDP must be cautioned against causing crisis through misinterpretation of the court ruling.
The situation highlights the ongoing political tensions in Osun State, particularly regarding control of local government structures and resources.
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