Adeolu Adeyemo – Osogbo
There is a sharp disagreement between the Osun State Governor and the All Progressive Congress (APC) in the state over alleged withdrawal of government vehicles from the market leaders in the state.
The alleged withdrawn vehicles were given to them by the past APC-led governments in the State.
However, the PDP-led government in the State in defense of the governor dissociated itself and Adeleke from the crisis rocking the market women association in Osun, declaring that neither the State Governor nor its officials are involved in the alleged invasion of Alhaja Asindemade’s residence.
Reacting to allegations from the Osun State APC in a statement on Sunday, the PDP accused the opposition of raising false alarm and issuing unfounded attacks on the state government, accusing the APC of seeking sympathy for its unpopular presidential candidate
But, the state chapter of the APC in a statement in Osogbo on Sunday, through its Chairman, Sooko Tajudeen Lawal, alleged that the three official vehicles attached to the Office of the Iyaloja-General of Osun State, Alhaja Asindemade, were forcefully taken away from her Kolabalogun residence area of Osogbo on Friday with a team of government officials numbering fifteen comprising fully-armed police officers, thugs and state government officials.
According to him, “The vehicles were taken away from Asindemade’s house while the third one was toed from the mechanic’s workshop where it was undergoing repairs.”
“In the process, a daughter of the Iyaloja-General was harassed by the rampaging vehicle recovery team who seized her mobile phone under a spurious allegation that she was recording the activities of the unwanted visitors.
The chairman however said it was unfortunate that Governor Adeleke could be prioritizing adding to the hardship of the market women leaders by this time in the history of the nation.
Lawal, in the statement, asked Adeleke when it has become an offence for the market women leaders to associate freely with their choice of candidate under a democratic setting.
He told Adeleke to state the reasons how the forceful removal of the vehicles from the Osun market women leaders would reverse his status as a sacked governor whom the tribunal ordered to withdraw certificate of return from.
Lawal also stated that the withdrawal of the vehicles from the women would not, in any way, affect the electoral success of the Tinubu/Shettima Presidential election as it’s God-ordained.
He also observed that the terse response from the embattled governor attributed union conflict as reason for the withdrawal of the vehicle as an insult on the sensibilities of the people of the state.
Lawal hinted that it would have been better for Adeleke to keep mum on the development instead of spewing gibberish through his spokesman alluding what was not as the cause of the forceful retrieval of the vehicles.
The state APC acting chairman reminded Adeleke that it was an act of wickedness and lack of empathy that could make the embattled governor to go all out against the market women leaders in the state.
The Osun State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has dissociated itself from the crisis rocking the market women association in Osun state, declaring that neither the State Governor nor its officials are involved in alleged invasion of Alhaja Asindemade residence.
Reacting to allegations from the Osun State APC in a statement on Sunday, the PDP Chairman, Dr.Adekunle Akindele accused the opposition of raising false alarm and issuing unfounded attacks on the state government, accusing the APC of seeking sympathy for its unpopular presidential candidate.
“Worried by the increasing unpopularity of its presidential candidate and the soaring acceptability of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the APC is holding unto straws, pushing to tag union power tussle as an action from the state government. This is a failed endeavour as even the APC admitted that those involved in the alleged attacks were thugs among others.
” We have been reading of infighting within the market association for some time now and how any responsible party will link that to a state government is still a puzzle. Neither the PDP nor its Governor is a party to disagreement within non-governmental organisations. APC should know more clearly that lies and falsehood can’t save the party from defeat on February 25th.
“Osun people voted massively for Governor Adeleke on July 16th, 2022 and they will do same for Alhaji Abubakar and all PDP candidates from February 25th. Governor Adeleke has strengthened the confidence reposed in him by the people of Osun state.
“He reversed the inhumane treatment of Osun workers by settling the half-salary legacy of the APC. He sorted out the pensions and contributory deductions controversies. He relaunched abandoned projects and is implementing six-point projects for his 100 days in office which covers water provision, school and health center rehabilitation alongside the introduction of first State ICT Policy, first State Tech Innovation Policy, domestication of Nigeria’s Start-Up Act and ongoing Google Mapping of Osun.
“As a people-oriented Governor, Adeleke resolved the fuel crisis within the state by bursting APC-sponsored artificial scarcity. APC had influenced some filling stations to hoard PMS. The Governor through his Petroleum Monitoring Committee acted for the people and today, fuel is freely available across the state.
“PDP is therefore of the people by the people. Our reach out to all strata of Osun society is a guarantee of forthcoming massive victory of the PDP later this month. We are therefore too busy with serving the people than to be involved in market union matters. APC should look for another lie. Our people are smarter,” the statement concluded.
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