By our correspondent
The reinstated local government chairmen in Osun State have issued a 72-hour ultimatum for council workers to return to work or face dismissal, according to the state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
In a statement released on Monday by Kola Olabisi, the APC’s Director of Media and Information, the party warned that any local government worker who failed to resume work by Wednesday would lose their job.
The directive follows the recent reinstatement of the chairmen, a move that has intensified the political crisis in the state.
The APC also accused Governor Ademola Adeleke of orchestrating violence through non-state actors, despite his directive that newly elected council chairmen should stay away from local government Secretariat.
The party alleged that Adeleke planned to attack the reinstated chairmen and councillors using the Amotekun Corps and militants allegedly brought in from Oyo State and the Niger Delta.
“Intelligence available to us indicates that the governor’s political dynasty, led by business mogul Dr. Deji Adeleke, is embarrassed by the controversy surrounding the recently conducted local government elections,” the statement read.
The APC claimed the governor’s directive for the new chairmen to avoid secretariat was a deceptive ploy aimed at disguising an alleged plan to instigate unrest and frame the legally reinstated officials.
Additionally, the APC implicated prominent figures such as Senator Bala Muhammed, Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors’ Forum, and Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde in the alleged scheme to destabilize Osun State.
The party claimed that Makinde had deployed thugs from Ibadan to Osogbo during the inauguration of the new chairmen, while Muhammed allegedly sought support from a PDP governor to send Niger Delta militants to the state.
The opposition party further alleged that militants disguised in security uniforms were being positioned to intimidate residents and abduct opposition members. It also accused the Amotekun Corps, led by retired police officer CSP Adekunle Omoyele, of providing cover for these militants by supplying them with hooded clothing and masks.
“We urge security agents to investigate the official quarters of the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Alhaji Kazeem Akinleye, where suspected cultists, hoodlums, and militants are reportedly being trained,” the statement added.
The APC called on Osun residents, particularly workers and traders, to remain vigilant and urged security agencies to take proactive measures to prevent potential violence in the state.