Communal crisis is order of the day under Adeleke govt — APC chieftain
By Jeleel Olawale
A senior member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State, Mr Jamiu Olawumi, has criticised Governor Ademola Adeleke’s administration, asserting that the state has been plunged into persistent crises under his leadership. He accused the governor of exposing Osun to avoidable turmoil.
Olawumi, who served as Special Adviser to former Governor Adegboyega Oyetola, made these remarks during a webinar organised by Nigerian NewsDirect, titled “State of Emergency in Rivers: Restoring Order or Encroaching on Democracy.”
Drawing parallels between Rivers and Osun States, Olawumi claimed that Osun has recently been engulfed by multiple crises, including local government disputes, communal conflicts, and a monkeypox outbreak. He suggested that these combined issues could warrant the imposition of a state of emergency to restore stability.
He lamented that these crises have led to the loss of innocent lives and the destruction of property. According to him, under Adeleke’s watch, the state has witnessed three major communal clashes—the Esa-Oke chieftaincy dispute, the Ede-Egbedi conflict, and the Ifon-Ilobu crisis. He argued that these incidents illustrate the governor’s failure in crisis management.
Olawumi further criticised Adeleke for his lack of direct engagement with affected communities, stating that the governor has yet to visit the troubled areas to assess the damage personally. He asserted that there is a growing lack of trust in the state’s leadership, and the unaddressed crises have left Osun vulnerable to potential emergency rule.
He accused the governor of showing indifference to the violence occurring in the state he pledged to govern. He also pointed out that the 100-member committee Adeleke set up to investigate the crises has produced no tangible results. Instead, he claimed, the state remains exposed to ongoing instability without concrete solutions in place.
“This is why the APC is advocating for emergency rule in Osun to restore law and order. We are exhausted by the unending cycle of crises. Today, there is turmoil; tomorrow, another conflict. These issues are not different from what is happening in Rivers,” Olawumi declared
