Two people were reportedly shot on Monday in the Boripe Local Government Area of Osun State after a violent clash between members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), following the resumption of reinstated council executives.
The crisis arose from a dispute between Governor Ademola Adeleke and the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, concerning the return of sacked APC executives to office after their reinstatement by the Court of Appeal.
According to reporters, APC executives resumed office early on Monday to celebrate their reinstatement, asserting their control over the council. However, as they left the council premises, they were ambushed by PDP members, leading to a gunfire exchange that left two individuals injured.
Security operatives from the Amotekun Corps arrived at the scene, but reports indicate that APC members resisted their intervention. In Osogbo, APC members took over the secretariat in the Oke-Baale area, but after some time, Muniru Raji, the Special Adviser to Governor Adeleke on Political Matters, mobilized PDP members, who resisted the APC group’s presence.
The situation escalated when the Secretary to the State Government, Teslim Igbalaye, mobilized additional PDP members to the council, ultimately forcing APC members to retreat. Gunshots were reported during the clash, resulting in injuries.
The tension continued in other areas, including Ife Central, where APC members resumed duties at the council office, leading to protests by the PDP that caused heavy traffic along the Ibadan/Ikire expressway. In Obokun council, both APC and PDP members stood guard outside the locked council building, while in Irewole, PDP members prevented APC officials from entering the council office.
In Ilesa East, former Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Timothy Owoeye, led the resumption of APC council executives, and in Atakunmosa West, ex-lawmaker Babatunde Komolafe led a similar action.
Meanwhile, in Olorunda, security was heightened at the entrance of the secretariat, with scores of PDP members, led by the Commissioner for Rural Development, Gani Olaoluwa, in attendance.
The situation remains tense, with further developments expected.
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