No fewer than five persons lost their lives in the violence that erupted following attempts to take over local government secretariats by members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State on Monday.
Prominent among those who reportedly lost their lives was former chairman of Irewole Local Government, Hon. Remi Abass.
Addressing newsmen in Iragbiji, headquarters of Boripe Local Government Area, Osun State Commissioner for Protocol and Governmental Affairs, Soji Ajeigbe, alleged that Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members Damilare Oloyede and Taye were shot dead around the council secretariat by APC thugs.
Also briefing newsmen at the APC secretariat in Osogbo, Alhaji Jamiu Olawumi accused PDP hoodlums of killing three members of the party. He identified the casualties as Abass, a yet-to-be-identified councillor in Olaoluwa Local Government, and another party member from Isokan Local Government.
Olawumi, an APC chieftain, also affirmed that about 15 of the Court of Appeal reinstated council chairmen who assumed office by 9am, only chased out by PDP hoodlums later.
He vowed that all elected party functionaries reinstated by the Appeal Court verdict of February 10, 2025, will continue to go to office as ordered by the appellate court.
On Monday, violence broke out in virtually all the local government areas across Osun State as the sacked council chairmen attempted to assume office following the court verdict.
Both PDP and APC have been laying claims to contradictory interpretations of the court judgement, with the APC claiming that the appeal court reinstated the local government chairmen elected under former Governor Gboyega Oyetola.
However, PDP denied this claim, insisting that the appellate court did not order their reinstatement.
