Osun Govt Rejects Police Advice On LG Election, Says State Is Peaceful
The Osun State Government has rejected the advice of the Nigeria Police Force to suspend Saturday’s local government election.
OSUN DEFENDER reports that Force Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, in a statement on Friday night said credible intelligent gathered from various groups shows that various groups including political elements and other interest parties are mobilising to insitgate unrest, disrupt public peace and undermine the democratic order.
“The Nigeria Police Force has received credible intelligence indicating a high likelihood of violence and significant security threats should the planned Local Government elections proceed in Osun State.
“These reports gathered from joint intelligence gathering reveal that various groups, including political elements and other interest parties, are mobilizing to instigate unrest, disrupt public peace, and undermine the democratic order.
“Given this imminent threat to security, the NPF strongly advises the Osun State Government to suspend the planned elections forthwith in the interest of public safety and national stability.”
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However, in a swift reaction, Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenement, Kolapo Alimi said the government has rejected the advise for the cancellation of the polls.
Alimi said the decision of government was hinged on the rule of law and aversion to police partisanship, which he alleged the Nigeria Police for.
His words, “Osun state government has acknowledged the security advice from the Nigerian Police Force but regret to announce that the advice is rejected on the ground of rule of law and aversion to police partisanship.
“The state government under His Excellency, Governor Ademola Adeleke has reviewed the advice and has come to the conclusion that the proposal from the force headquarters was biased, partisan and in contravention of democratic tenets. The pretence of the service to be serving public good while actually promoting illegality of the APC reinforces our rejection of a Greek gift.
“From the beginning of this face off, the police has breached best practices by its open support for the All Progressive Congress, a party that is pushing for illegality through a non- existing court order. The whole world knows how the police actively aided the APC to enforce a reinstatement order that was never issued by any court of law.
“A law enforcement agency has suddenly become a partisan wing of a political party, the APC, thereby losing all toga of a fair law agency. The negative role of the police to ignite the current face off made its advice a poison chocolate.
“Beyond the above, we also call the attention of the police to the court judgment of today. It contains three orders which affirm vacancies in Osun councils by authenticating the sacking of the APC council chieftains. directed the police and other security agencies to provide security for the election and gave go ahead to fresh LG elections by Saturday 22nd.
“Instead of the police to obey court order, the service is regrettably pursuing its partisan line by actively working against rule of law as espoused by today’s court ruling.
“If the police choses to disobey court orders, the Osun state government will not go against rule of law, hence the decision of the state government to support the state electoral commission to conduct a credible free and fair elections tomorrow.
“We thank the police for their advice. We respectfully turned down the request while we urge Osun voters to peacefully exercise their voting rights on Saturday,” the government stressed further.
Sodiq Yusuf is a trained media practitioner and journalist with considerable years of experience in print, broadcast, and digital journalism. His interests cover a wide range of causes in politics, governance, sports, community development, and good governance.
