DSM Condemns the Deadly Violence over Local Government control in Osun State

Neither APC nor PDP represents genuine interests of working people, youth and the poor people

The Democratic Socialist Movement (DSM), Osun State, hereby strongly condemns the violence that has trailed recent Appeal Court judgement over the 2022 Local Government elections. The violence, which has claimed lives and subjected the people of the state to unwarranted apprehension, was sequel to the judgement of the Appeal Court, Akure, on the local government election held in October, 2022 in the twilight of the Gboyega Oyetola/APC administration.

The judgement, which was against the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), is being relied on by the Gboyega Oyetola-led All Progressives’ Congress (APC) to demand the reinstatement of the erstwhile local government executives, purportedly elected in the 2022 elections but sacked by the Federal High Court. The Osun State government, relying on a different court judgement by the Appeal Court in a case between the Action People’s Party (APP) and APC, had opposed the return of the former council executives.

To us in the DSM, we view the positions of both APC and the Osun State government as self-serving and not in the genuine interest of the people of the state. In the first instance, both parties have no genuine intention of ensuring a democratic local government system.

For instance, Oyetola, who is now an emergency advocate of ‘rule of law’ did not allow local governments to have democratic elections in almost four years of his administration. He only conducted a sham election, in which only his party, APC ‘contested’, and ballot papers only had ‘YES OR NO’ as voting options. Worse still, the government practically paralysed the local government administration, with the state government cornering a significant part of local government funds. The so-called election was held after Oyetola was defeated in the governorship election, and few weeks before his exit as governor! Therefore, the display of sudden energy for ‘rule of law’ by Oyetola and APC is only a cover for their shameful actions.

Also, the Ademola Adeleke/PDP administration, despite giving some limited funds to local councils as a result of the Supreme Court ruling on local government autonomy, still has a firm, yet destructive, grip over the local government administration. The local governments are still unable to undertake any serious grassroots development or activities. The government did not allow democratic elections into the local councils in the last 2 years, rather using unelected caretaker committees and bureaucrats to run the councils. The decision to hold local council elections was not a free will of the state government but was a product of the Supreme Court ruling. Worse still, the planned local council elections are not democratic. For instance, the chairperson of the state electoral commission (OSSIEC) is a long-term lawyer to the PDP and Adeleke.

Aside all of these is the corruption that has defined both the Oyetola/APC and Adeleke/PDP administrations. For instance, the only major project of the Oyetola administration was the Ola-Iya flyover in Osogbo, which was actually a conduit pipe for looting. The flyover, which was less than 500 meters, reportedly cost the state over N2.7 billion. Worse still, the funds for the project was sourced through loan, with high interest rate. On the other hand, the road construction projects of the Adeleke/PDP government have been dogged by waste and corruption, as the cost of these projects are well overboard. For instance, the Lagere, Ile-Ife flyover, which spans less than 2km will reportedly cost the state N14.9 billion. Yet, this is a state where the government just employed 10,000 people on a poverty salary of N30,000 a month, under a youth volunteer scheme, Imole Corps. Worth noting also is the fact that the government now earns more than 300 percent in revenue than previous administration, yet major sectors in the state, including public education, water supply and sanitation, remain in a terrible state.

Therefore, the two main ruling parties are not fundamentally different. Unfortunately, the Socialist Party of Nigeria (SPN) which could have provided a genuine alternative to the two main capitalist ruling parties has been undemocratically deregistered by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which is acting the script of the capitalist ruling elites.

However, we need to state that the call by the APC on the police to reinstate former council executives to their positions was a major instigation to violence. The party, in a hypocritical manner, had asked the former council executives to return even when the Appeal Court judgement did not give any consequential order to that effect, while there is a subsisting judgement of Appeal Court that upheld a Federal High Court judgement, which nullified the council elections of October 2022. This is more so that the same party conducted the shameful sham ‘YES OR NO’ elections in 2022 that led to the current crisis.

Yet, this is not an endorsement of the planned local council elections slated for 22 February, 2025 by OSSIEC. The election, based on the conduct of the OSSIEC, is only a ritual to return PDP to the leadership of local governments. This is only aimed at ensuring that the Adeleke government continue to have a firm grip over the resources of the local governments.

Furthermore, we welcome the strike called by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), which directed all local government workers to stay at home until the crisis is resolved, as a way of safeguarding the lives of workers. Yet, we enjoin the labour leaders to commit the same energy to the welfare interests of workers and retirees in the state.

Finally, we call on workers, youth, and the oppressed people in general to join the DSM in building a genuine political alternative to the capitalist ruling parties of APC and PDP.

Alfred Adegoke

State Coordinator

Kola Ibrahim

State Secretary