By danivert

Copyright thesun

From Lateef Dada, Osogbo

A group within the Action Democratic Party (ADP), in Osun State, Omoluabi Progressive, has lamented that democracy in Osun is under direct attack with the release of Local Government allocation to the All Progressives Congress (APC) chairmen.

The group posited that the federal government should be held accountable for the abuse of rule of law, calling on civil societies and other stakeholders to resist the federal might in the state.

The Chairman of Omoluabi Progressive, Alhaji Abdulazeez Adesiji, at a press conference in Osogbo, yesterday, stressed that the Osun Local Government election of October 15, 2022 was conducted in total disregard of the Electoral Act and a Federal High Court had nullified those elections.

He recalled that the appeal filed by APC was struck out, insisting that the judgment stands today – “valid, binding, and unchallenged.

“The Omoluabi Progressives view with grave concern the ongoing brazen assault on democracy, rule of law, and the sanctity of our Constitution by the APC-led Federal Government.

“APC’s attempt to build legality on the election it conducted based on technical victory over pre-election matter at the expense of a judgment that nullified the election outrightly is laughable and the height of political rascality.

“Yet, the federal government, instead of upholding the law, has chosen to perpetrate fascism by starving duly elected local government executives of their statutory funds and diverting billions of naira into an illegal account opened in the name of these Yes or No Illegal Chairmen. This is not only unconstitutional but a direct theft of the people’s resources and political brigandage.

“This unconscionable act amounts to a declaration of war against the Nigerian Constitution and against the people of Osun State in particular. It is a dangerous precedent where federal government acting with impunity, disregards valid court judgments in order to entrench his party’s rejected cronies in power.

“We condemn in the strongest terms this overbearing character of the Federal Government who has shown by this conduct that he will stop at nothing to manipulate institutions, desecrate the courts, and subvert the will of the people.

“This same pattern of lawlessness is already being woven into the fabric of Osun politics in the build-up to the forthcoming Osun elections, and Nigerians must take note of what this portends for 2027.

“The Omoluabi Progressives call on all democratic forces-civil society, labour unions, opposition parties, and the international community-to resist this
creeping authoritarianism. The struggle for local government autonomy must not be perverted into an APC scheme for political capture and financial looting

“The federal government and his collaborators must be held accountable for this reckless abuse of power. The Yes or No Illegal Chairmen must stop disturbing the peace of Osun immediately, and Osun’s local government funds must be released to the legitimate, constituted authorities.

“All professional and democratic forces-NBA, NLC, civil society, labour unions, opposition parties, and the international community must come together to resist this creeping authoritarianism,” Adesiji said.