There is a palpable fear of escalation of violence after six people were killed in the state on Monday. One of the casualties reportedly had a gaping hole in the head as he lay in a pool of blood. This bestiality has no place in a democracy. It must stop.
The violence dated back to the LG election conducted under Adegboyega Oyetola, the immediate past governor of the state (now Minister of Marine and Blue Economy), until the eve of his departure in 2022 after one term in office.
The sacked APC council leaders, exultant after the purported reinstatement order, attempted to retake their offices on Monday, but the bid ended tragically. As they made to re-enter their offices with their supporters, a matching crowd of PDP members resisted them.
The PDP and APC have been playing the blame game. Adeleke accused Oyetola of plotting to “create chaos and anarchy” in Osun on “an agenda to enforce a non-existent court judgement”.
The clash was replicated across Osun’s local councils, and six people died needlessly, many more injured. This is condemnable.
This is a brazen quest for power and control of the state’s resources. The LGs are a veritable vehicle to power. Controlling them puts the occupants in good stead to grab more power.
Osun is at a tipping point. If not well managed, things could degenerate into the better-forgotten days of the early 1960s when the quest for power and personal ego plunged the Western Region into a protracted nightmare.
The police and other security agencies must stop looking the other way when crimes are about to be committed. Nigeria must learn from its mistakes and grow with democracy.
BY
BABATUNDE SAHEED
ASSISTANT GENERAL MANAGER,
SUCCESS 105.3 FM,
IBADAN.
