PDP rejects Osun APC’s call for state of emergency, says democracy thriving

By Deborah Oladejo, Osogbo

The Osun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has strongly condemned the All Progressives Congress (APC) for calling for a state of emergency in the state, dismissing the claims as baseless.

State PDP Chairman, Hon. Sunday Bisi, asserted that democratic governance is thriving in Osun, with no legal or governance justification for the APC’s demands. He maintained that there has been no breakdown of democratic institutions, including the judiciary, the State Assembly, or the executive arm of government.

Bisi accused the APC of seeking to manufacture a crisis, insisting that Osun’s situation is not comparable to that of Rivers State, as frequently claimed by the opposition party.

“We condemn the increasing desperation of APC against the people and government of Osun State. We urge the presidency and all lovers of democracy to ignore the whispering of these power-hungry elements. Osun is not Rivers, and there is no basis for any clamour for a state of emergency,” he stated.

Addressing the issue of court rulings, Bisi said Governor Ademola Adeleke’s administration has a record of obeying judicial decisions, unlike the APC, which he accused of misrepresenting the Court of Appeal ruling regarding local government chairmen.

“On the issue of teachers’ recruitment, Governor Adeleke acted in the best interest of the state by reversing the last-minute employment of thousands of APC loyalists by former Governor Gboyega Oyetola. That move was a deliberate attempt to cripple the incoming government with an over-bloated workforce. Governor Adeleke dismantled the plot and ensured that new recruitments were based on due process, financial capacity, and sectoral needs,” he explained.

Regarding the strike action at the local government level, Bisi argued that the situation was fueled by security concerns following the killing of six PDP members. He added that the matter remains sub judice, and local government staff have chosen to stay away to avoid legal complications.

“No local government staff wants to be an accomplice to illegality. The individuals who hijacked the council secretariats were sacked by a competent court of law, and the ruling the APC is parading contains no consequential orders reinstating their so-called Yes/No chairmen,” Bisi concluded.