Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has accused the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, of aiding and abetting illegality in the state’s local government administration, describing the situation as a direct assault on democracy.
Adeleke made this assertion on Wednesday while meeting with a delegation of British diplomats led by Deputy High Commissioner Jonny Baxter at his office in Osogbo.
In a statement issued by his spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, the governor criticized the police chief for allegedly enforcing a non-existent court order to support members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in taking over local councils.
“It is unfortunate and a disservice to democracy that the Inspector General of Police is colluding with the APC to enforce a non-existing court order. This is a serious threat to democracy in Nigeria,” Adeleke stated.
The governor expressed deep concern over what he described as a dangerous precedent, emphasizing the importance of upholding democratic principles.
“You are in my state at a critical juncture in our political life. We face an existential threat to our democratic life from those who should protect democracy. We have made the best of efforts to guarantee peace on the unfolding local government question. I directed members of the political class to stay away.
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“But the opposition, supported by the police, went ahead to break into the local government secretariats. Security men openly supported them to enforce illegality,” he alleged.
Despite the challenges, Adeleke affirmed that the state’s scheduled local government elections would proceed as planned.
“Nonetheless, our local government election is holding on Saturday. Our people are ready for elections. We will not allow democracy to be destroyed.
“We call on the diplomatic community to take judicious note of the rape of democracy ongoing in Osun state. We particularly call attention to the negative role of security agents in the crisis. All stakeholders must abide by the rule of law in a democracy. There is no room for self-help,” he told the visiting diplomats.
In response, Deputy High Commissioner Jonny Baxter reaffirmed the United Kingdom’s commitment to democratic governance and urged all political actors in Osun to prioritize peaceful engagement.
“Nigeria is a key partner to the UK, and we encourage all stakeholders to uphold democratic values, ensure peaceful governance, and respect legal institutions.
“It is vital that law enforcement remains neutral and that political disputes are resolved through lawful channels,” Baxter stated.
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