Osun speaker accuses Makinde of meddling in PDP primaries

By Deborah Oladejo, Osogbo –

The Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Hon. Adewale Egbedun, on Tuesday led some lawmakers and their aides to the venue of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship primary in Osogbo, where officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and other perceived party members were assaulted.

Egbedun, who arrived at the Adolak Event Centre shortly after the winner of the primary was announced, stormed the venue to protest the conduct of the exercise, which was organised by the national leadership of the PDP.

A video circulating on social media showed the Speaker and some of his aides descend on an INEC official and begin to beat him before Oyewusi intervened and ordered the aides to stop.

The lawmakers’ aides also confronted a group of about 14 men who identified themselves as Oyo State Park Management officials. They were beaten, forced into an 18-seater bus and taken to a police post within the Osun State House of Assembly complex.

At the police post, the men denied participating in the primary, saying they were at Adolak Bar to relax when they were attacked, and displayed identity cards showing they were from Oyo State.

They explained that they were in Osogbo for a zonal meeting of transport unions, but the lawmakers’ aides insisted they were brought in to impersonate Osun PDP delegates.

Speaking with newsmen, Egbedun issued a stern warning to Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, accusing him of meddling in Osun PDP affairs and alleging that if he is desperate to become president in 2027, he should use another state as a tool.

He said the lawmakers would not tolerate external interference, adding that they would convene a meeting to decide on their next steps. “I am the Speaker, and a governor from another state will come to dictate to us — we won’t take that. We will have a meeting and decide on what to do,” he added.