The Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress has opposed the White Paper released by the state government, which sacked two traditional rulers.
The APC State Chairman, Tajudeen Lawal, said this at a news briefing on Monday in Osogbo, the state capital.
He urged Governor Ademola Adeleke to save the state from impending mayhem by reverting to the status quo.
Lawal also called on President Tinubu and the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to intervene in the brewing situation in the state.
Lawal said that on assumption of office on November 22, 2024, Governor Adeleke ordered the suspension of the Aree of Iree, Akinrun of Ikirun, Owa of Igbajo and Alawo of Awo.
He said that following the suspension of the aforementioned traditional rulers, the stools became subjects of court litigations, in which the governor and the state government were defendants.
The chairman said that the governor later cleared the Alawo of Awo to function as Oba, pending the determination of the lawsuit in respect of the stool.
He said that Adeleke, however, maliciously nullified the processes that produced the Aree of Iree and Owa of Igbajo and ordered for a fresh nomination exercise.
He said the governor also declared the Akinrun of Ikirun stool vacant pending the outcome of the court case.
Lawal said: “The decision of Governor Adeleke to single out some traditional rulers for punishment on mere presumption that they are political adversaries is petty, divisive and ungodly.
“No genuine leader engages in such destructive tactics to govern his subjects.
“The reactions of the indigenes of the affected towns leave much to be desired and if not well managed could cause a monumental break-down of law and order.
“We use this medium to call on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Inspector-General of Police to intervene in the brewing situation in the state.”
Also, Lawal said that the closure of the courts in the state in the last three months due to indefinite strike by alleged “partisan judiciary workers” was strange.
He added: “The implication of this unholy closure of the courts is that the citizenry are now resorting to self-help since the courts are not sitting and available for them to ventilate their anger.
“The other negative effect of the non-sitting of the courts is that the police cells are now over-crowded since suspected criminals in their custody cannot be arraigned in courts.”
Lawal also alleged that members of the APC were being harassed by the state government in order to silence them.
He alleged that Governor, who was elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, had also secretly set up a task force to forcefully retrieve some vehicles duly approved for past government functionaries so as to provoke “our law-abiding citizens, injure them and precipitate violence in the state”.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the state government on Thursday nullified the selection of Mr Gboyega Famodun, a former State Chairman of the APC, as the traditional ruler of Igbajo in Boluwaduro Local Government Area of the state.
The government also nullified the selection of Raphael Ademola of Iree town in Boripe Local Government area of the state.
It also declared the Akirun stool in Ifelodun Local Government area vacant, pending the outcome of the case before the Court of Appeal.
A statement by Kolapo Alimi, the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, said the decision was contained in the White Paper report submitted by the committee set up by Governor Adeleke on Chieftaincy matters.
According to the statement, the government has also directed the setting up of a task force for the recovery of government vehicles allegedly carted away by officials that served in the administration of former Governor Gboyega Oyetola.
Olawale Rasheed, the spokesperson to Adeleke, said the governor complied with due process, rule of law and the tradition of the various affected towns in the recently released white paper.
Rasheed, who spoke in reaction to the news conference addressed by Lawal, said: “The White Paper did not impose any oba like the previous government did.
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“The state government has only ordered compliance with due process without barring any eligible candidate from seeking the royal stool.
“The credibility of the White Paper is confirmed by the messages of commendations, appreciation and encomiums that have been reaching the governor since the release of the White Paper.
“The affected towns are also at peace.
“Kindly ignore those anti-people elements who seek to retain the illegality of yesteryears.”