…Urges Tinubu to intervene, demands security deployment across LG secretariats
A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State, Hon. Olatunbosun Oyintiloye, has warned that the recent misinterpretation of a Court of Appeal ruling by the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state could plunge Osun into fresh political unrest if urgent action is not taken.
Hon. Oyintiloye, a former member of the Osun State House of Assembly, made this known during a press briefing on Sunday in Osogbo.
He alleged that the PDP’s interpretation of the Friday judgement delivered by the Court of Appeal, Akure Division, concerning the October 22, 2022 local government election was not only misleading but capable of triggering violent confrontations.
According to him, the PDP had falsely assumed that the court ruling gave them legal control over the local government councils and were allegedly mobilising to invade council secretariats across the state on Monday.
“The ruling delivered on Friday by the Court of Appeal has already begun generating tension statewide due to its misrepresentation,” Hon. Oyintiloye said.
In a statement signed by Hon. Olatunbosun Oyintiloye, he explained that the appellate court merely struck out the APC’s request to relist its appeal against the earlier judgement of the Federal High Court, which had nullified the 2022 local government elections. However, he stressed that the Friday ruling did not overturn the subsequent February 10, 2023 judgement which reinstated APC’s elected local government chairmen and councillors.
He warned that allowing the PDP to act on their flawed interpretation by forcefully taking over council offices could result in violent clashes.
Hon. Oyintiloye urged the President to use his constitutional powers to stop what he described as “planned acts of provocation” by the PDP, insisting that the rule of law must be upheld while waiting for the Supreme Court’s decision on the matter.
The APC stalwart further warned the state government and PDP leadership to exercise restraint, urging them to await the legal process rather than interpret court judgements for political gain.
According to him, “We don’t want any bloodshed in the state again and that is why I am calling on President to intervene swiftly to avoid loss of lives.
“The open declaration by PDP members to invade the council secretariats in the state on Monday can lead to mayhem and that is not what we need at the moment.
“Both the state government and the PDP must be cautioned against causing crisis in the state due to wrong interpretation of the court ruling.
“The verdict of the court on attempt by the APC to relist the case is very clear but some people are just hell-bent to cause chaos through misinterpretation of the court ruling.
“We appeal to Mr. President to intervene and protect lives and property of residents in Osun.
“Osun government is already before the Supreme Court to challenge its inability to access local government allocation.
“It is therefore expected of the government to wait for the apex to take final decision on it”, he said.
