Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke has rejected calls for a state of emergency in the southwestern state, describing the demand as a politically motivated scheme to destabilise his administration.
The governor’s stance responds to a Friday appeal by two civil society groups, the Initiative for Local Government Development and the Centre for Justice and Community Advocacy. The groups urged President Bola Tinubu to invoke emergency rule, citing persistent disobedience to court orders regarding local government administration and what they termed a looming security crisis.
In a statement from his spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, Governor Adeleke asserted the state remains peaceful and secure under his government’s control. He contended the emergency call is not grounded in factual realities but is instead orchestrated by opposition figures, particularly within the All Progressives Congress (APC), to fuel tension.
The governor alleged the APC has a history of paralysing local government operations, including forcibly occupying council secretariats and obstructing statutory funds meant for grassroots development. He claimed these actions are designed to manufacture unrest, which opposition figures would then falsely attribute to his administration to justify external intervention.
Adeleke countered that the core local government impasse stems from the refusal of certain officials to vacate office after their tenures expired, and from alleged illegal attempts by former officials to extend their stay. On finances, his administration accused opposition elements of blocking access to council funds, necessitating state intervention to pay local government workers’ salaries and prevent hardship.
While his government commended for its restraint and adherence to legal processes, Adeleke warned against further incitement. He said he has directed the state police commissioner to monitor developments and prevent any breakdown of law and order. The governor appealed to the President and Inspector-General of Police to recognise the situation as a political contestation that must be resolved through the ballot box, not unconstitutional means.
The civil society groups had justified their emergency appeal by citing loss of lives and a continued disregard for court rulings on council administration. The dispute centres on the control of Osun’s 30 local government councils, a longstanding political battleground between the state government and opposition-aligned council chairs.
The standoff highlights the fragile coexistence between state and local authorities in Nigeria’s federal system. With the state government maintaining it is in control and security agencies on alert, the next steps may involve further legal challenges or renewed political pressure on the federal government to intervene.
