The political atmosphere in Osun State has heated up as the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) engage in a war of words over alleged plans by hoodlums to unleash terror on schools and farm settlements in the state.
Both parties issued press statements in Osogbo on Wednesday, levelling accusations against each other and drawing battle lines.
The alarm was initially raised by the state governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke, who on Tuesday expressed concerns about plans by hoodlums to attack schools and carry out abductions, as well as target farm settlements in the state.
This led to the governor summoning a security meeting to address the issue.
The APC and PDP have since exchanged accusations and named themselves different names in their respective statements regarding the alleged threats to security in the state.
The situation underscores the heightened tension and political rivalry in Osun State.
However, the state chapter of the APC described the raised alarm as unfounded and in a statement by its chairman, Tajudeen Lawal said, “Governor Adeleke should sit up for once and give the people of the state the quality governance he promised the people during his campaign instead of engaging in the creation of another phoney agenda meant to have a diversionary motive.”
ALSO READ: Hardship: FG begins distribution of grains in Northwest
“We are not politically inexperienced not to have an understanding that the Adeleke-invented security threat against the state is a ploy to shift their attention from discussing his ill-thought-out N100 billion white elephant projects when hunger is working on four legs in all the streets in the nooks and crannies of the state.
“There is nothing wrong in a government being proactive on security issues, but it is criminal and an express admission of failure for any government to use same as a weapon of deceit to confuse the governed.”
In its quick response, the PDP Chairman, Mr Sunday Bisi said, “We find it reprehensible and condemnable for the state APC to deny reports that have been confirmed by virtually all the security agencies in the state. Must the APC play politics with everything?”
“A patriotic governor raised the alarm on security threats and he summoned the state security council meeting. The council meeting attended by top security and service commanders reviewed the situation in the light of their field reports and mapped out preemptive measures.
“The resolution of the state security meeting was made public including a list of steps the state is to take to stop the threats from materialising. Instead of commending the Governor for his foresight, the opposition has chosen to play bad, sore loser again, levelling unfounded allegations and playing games with the lives and properties of our people”, he submitted.
NIGERIAN TRIBUNE