PDP Blames Police for Osun Council Crisis, Appeals to Nigerians, Intl Community

 

The Osun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called on Nigerians and the international community to hold the Nigerian Police accountable for the worsening breakdown of law and order in the state.

In a statement on Monday, signed by the party’s Chairman, Hon. Sunday Bisi, the PDP accused the Police of abandoning its constitutional role of maintaining peace and security by allegedly enabling the illegal takeover of local government councils by “people unknown to the law.”

The party expressed concern over the conduct of the Police since the local government crisis erupted in February 2025, claiming that law enforcement authorities have shown partisanship and a disregard for court judgments.

Bisi alleged that the Police have facilitated a scheme to place officials, who have no legal claim, in council offices, making governance at the grassroots level “practically impossible.” He described the ongoing impasse as “a serious assault on the people’s rights to choose their leaders.”

“Policing, anywhere, is about safeguarding laws and order, but the experience in Osun State with the Nigerian Police is quite bizarre since February 2025,” Bisi said. He noted that the Police initially justified their actions by relying on a one-sided advisory from the Attorney-General of the Federation, while ignoring court rulings that invalidated certain local government elections.

The PDP chairman further questioned the legal basis for allowing officials of the so-called YES or NO group to access council secretariats, noting that their tenure has no legal standing pending the determination of ongoing court cases.

Bisi urged the Police to act as a neutral law enforcement agency rather than an arm of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), warning that continued disregard for legal directives could encourage disorder.

The PDP insisted that it would use all legal avenues, including appealing to the international community, to ensure that the rule of law prevails in Osun State.

“As a law-abiding party, we will not hesitate to employ every legal means if the unprofessional conduct of the Police fails to abate,” Bisi said. “Our interest remains that the rule of law must prevail, not the rule of gangsterism, which is what the APC is exploring.”