Governors elected on the platform of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have appealed to President Bola Tinubu to ensure law and order is restored in Osun State.
The governors also urged the director general of Department of State Services (DSS), the Inspector General of Police and the heads of other law enforcement agencies to urgently contain the security situation in the state and guarantee the preservation of lives and property before it spirals out of control.
The opposition party governors stated this in a statement of solidarity with the Osun State governor, Ademola Adeleke, on the violence which erupted in the state on Monday over the local government leadership crisis.
The violence led to the loss of lives including a local government chairman, and the destruction of property.
The political unrest comes ahead of the Saturday’s local government election in the state, a precursor to the 2026 governorship election in the South West state.
Reacting however to Monday’s crisis, the opposition party governors’ under the aegis of the Peoples Democratic Party Governors’ Forum (PDPGF), said they were deeply concerned about the recent political violence in the state.
The PDPGF chairman, Governor Bala Mohammed, who is also Bauchi State governor, added that their concern over the situation stemmed from the fact that the Governor Adeleke had warned about the imminent breakdown of law and order and appealed to the responsible authorities to act to forestall this.
The chairman of the forum further condemned the resort to self-help by political players whose conduct ought to have been guided by the provisions of extant laws in a democratic society.
He said, “The Forum further notes with deep worry the resort to violence as a means of settling political and legal disputes and warns all those fanning the embers of discord to desist forthwith.
“Thus, the PDDGF appeals to His Excellency President Bola Tinubu, the Director General of DSS, the Inspector General of Police and the heads of other law enforcement agencies to move quickly and direct all law enforcement agencies to without further delay, contain the situation in Osun State, restore law and order and guarantee the preservation of lives and property before it spirals out of control.
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“The PDPGF also notes that political leadership should be about patriotic sacrifice and service to the people and not about bloodbath and violent criminal conducts and thus, charges all the stakeholders in Osun State to abide by the law.
“In this regard, the PDPGF further avers that with regard to the protection of lives and property, there are no partisan divides or ideological divisions. Every political leader should be serving the people and working towards their safety, protection, and welfare,” he said.
The governor said the forum is desirous of seeing a full and total return of normalcy in Osun State, the restoration of law and order, and the quick identification and decisive trial of all those charged with violent disruption of the peace in Osun State.
He commended the state governor for the timely warning in the form of statements he issued before these political actors resorted to violence, adding that his action is a mark of exemplary leadership.
