Osun APC chairmen give LG staff 72-hour ultimatum to resume duties

…accuse Governor Adeleke of plotting violence

By Deborah Oladejo, Osogbo

The All Progressives Congress (APC) Local Government chairmen in Osun State have issued a 72-hour ultimatum to local government workers across the state, directing them to resume duties or face termination.

In a press statement issued on Monday, the chairmen warned that failure to comply with the directive would result in job termination.

A chieftain of the APC, Jamiu Olawumi, confirmed to newsmen in Osogbo that all chairmen and councillors in the state had resumed duties in their respective local government offices, including Irewole Local Government, where former chairman Remi Abass was killed last week.

“Security is very tight. We have responsible police officers, DSS, and Civil Defence personnel doing their jobs as directed by the Inspector General of Police,” Olawumi stated.

Meanwhile, the Osun State chapter of the APC has accused Governor Ademola Adeleke of plotting to attack the legally reinstated chairmen and councillors using the Amotekun Corps and non-state actors allegedly imported from Oyo State and the Niger Delta.

In a statement issued on Monday, the party’s Director of Media and Information, Kola Olabisi, claimed that intelligence reports indicated that the governor’s political camp, led by business mogul Dr. Deji Adeleke, was displeased with the national backlash following the controversial local government election conducted by the state government.

According to the APC, the governor’s directive for workers to stay away from local government secretariats was a mere smokescreen, alleging that Adeleke and his party were determined to incite violence and blame it on the legally recognized chairmen.

The statement further alleged that the Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors’ Forum, Senator Bala Mohammed, and Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde were involved in a plot to destabilize Osun State to undermine President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

“Makinde was reported to have mobilized thugs from Ibadan, Oyo State, providing them cover to move into Osun during the inauguration of the illegal local government chairmen in Osogbo on Sunday afternoon. Meanwhile, Bala Mohammed has secured the support of a PDP governor to mobilize Niger Delta militants to wreak havoc in the state this week,” the APC alleged.

The party claimed that these militants, disguised in security uniforms, were being positioned to intimidate citizens and abduct opposition members to instill fear. It further alleged that Amotekun Corps, led by retired police officer CSP Adekunle Omoyele, would provide cover for the suspected militants by supplying them with hooded clothing and masks to conceal their identities.

The APC urged security agencies to investigate the official quarters of the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Alhaji Kazeem Akinleye, alleging that it was being used to train suspected cultists, hoodlums, and militants.

The party called on Osun State residents, particularly workers and traders, to remain vigilant and urged security forces to intensify efforts to prevent potential violence.