By Abiola Olawale
The Osun Senate Caucus in the National Assembly has penned an appeal to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, demanding immediate action to quell ongoing local government (LG) crisis rocking Osun State.
The appeal comes amidst the fierce showdown between the State Governor, Ademola Adeleke and his predecessor, former Governor of Osun State and incumbent Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Gboyega Oyetola.
The showdown reached a boiling point, with accusations of blackmail, judicial defiance, and financial strangulation flying in Osun state.
Reacting to the development, the Senators, Francis Fadahunsi, Olubiyi Fadeyi, and Oyewumi Kamorudeen, members of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP), appealed to Tinubu, asserting that only the his intervention could be a way out of the escalating crisis.
In a statement issued and signed by the three federal lawmakers, the Senate Caucus msintained thar the ordinary people residing at the grassroots were at the receiving end of the crisis, hence the need for the intervention.
The statement reads in part: “We are writing to respectfully appeal to you to intervene in the lingering political crises that have been ongoing within the local government administration in Osun State. This situation has created considerable instability, and we deem it important to seek your fatherly consideration.
“We are aware of your concern for the ordinary Nigerian and particularly those at the grassroots, who are most affected by this crisis, which is the reason we seek your urgent and dispassionate intervention.
“While we commend the rulings of the courts, we believe your fatherly role can bring this dispute to a final halt, as we all know that alternative dispute resolution is the new normal.
“Mr President, we, the Senators from Osun State, know you to be a democrat, and we plead that you bring your wealth of democratic experience into resolving this political logjam. We want you, as usual, to demonstrate that you are the father of all, irrespective of our political affiliations.
“We also call on our royal fathers, elder statesmen, and highly respected sons and daughters of Osun to join in this appeal.”
The New Diplomat reports that the senators’ letter comes amid a crisis rooted in a Court of Appeal ruling that purportedly reinstated All Progressives Congress (APC)- elected local government officials, nullifying Adeleke’s dissolution of councils elected under Oyetola’s administration in 2022.
The ruling has sparked chaos, with both PDP and APC factions claiming control of the state’s 30 LGs.
The crisis dates back to October 2022, when Oyetola’s administration conducted LG elections that was widely criticized as flawed.
The PDP boycotted the polls, and after assuming office in November 2022, Adeleke dissolved the APC-led councils, labeling the election “unlawful.”
