Posted by The peace that used to rule in Osun State is quickly disappearing.
In the last 12 years, Osun has never had it so bad, and many people there don’t understand why the politicians can’t get along.
A new government took office on November 27. Ademola Adeleke led the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which had been in the opposition for 12 years, back to power.
The next day, there was violence in most of the State’s motorparks.
Even though the new governor told everyone to keep the peace, it was seen that this was not going to happen as members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) fought with members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for control of the parks (APC).
During Adegboyega Oyetola’s time in office, there was a struggle for power because it was known that political parties and each new administration sought the support of these “notorious” transport unions.
The State government and the Osun PDP have also said that the former governor, Adegboyega Oyetola, and his party, the APC, are to blame for the return of violence in some parts of the State, especially in Osogbo and Ilesa.
They also said that Oluremi Omowaiye, a former Commissioner for Works in the State, was behind the trouble in the Ilesa area of the State in the past few months.
In Ilesa town, there were two attacks on Omowaiye in the span of 30 days, and his supporters were hurt in different ways.
Also, the Osun APC, which lost the gubernatorial election on July 16, 2022, is having a hard time getting used to being in second place.
Many people in Osun have talked about how bothersome supporters of the two political parties are.
In light of the attacks, a senior police officer interviewed by this outlet agreed that both the Osun PDP and the APC are a nuisance to society and mess up the easy way of life that people in Osun have been used to for years.
Rulers in the past
Adegboyega Oyetola, who used to be the governor of Osun State, chose Akinrun of Ikinrun, Aree of Iree, and Owa of Igbajo as traditional rulers before handing over power to Peoples Democratic Party member Ademola (PDP).
Before this, the people in these communities didn’t like these choices, and many of them started to yell “blue murder.”
As soon as Adeleke took office, he put a stop to their appointments through an Executive Order and set up a committee on Chieftaincy Affairs to look into the problems with their appointments.
Political thugs, running a parking lot, and an attack on Oluremi Omowaiye
Politics and political thugs have always gone hand in hand in Nigeria, and Osun State is no different.
Before the Osun gubernatorial election, it was said that the APC was linked to two thugs: Rasheed Hammed, also known as Okoilu, and Kazeem Oyewale, also known as Asiri Eniba.
Also, Olalekan Ajagungbade, also known as “Emir,” was said to be friends with the PDP in Osun.
Before the election for governor, the two biggest political parties in the state have accused each other of hanging out with criminals.
It’s no wonder that on November 28, 2022, some fights broke out in some State motorparks.
Because of this violence, which was a way to welcome Governor Adeleke, the new leader of the country told security agents to keep things the same in all motorparks across the country. Because of the fights, one person died.
The political parties also accused each other of wrongdoing.
Residents react
The return of violence has also made things worse for the people who live there.
A businessman named Jamiu Babatunde said that politicians just play games to stir up trouble in the country.
He said that violence didn’t need to be a part of politics because the sky is big enough for all kinds of birds.
“Politicians want to take away the peace we’re used to having in the State. Osun is known for its “Omoluabi” values, but because of politics, those values have been thrown away.
A teacher named Olawumi Akinbamidele said that the people have been let down by the system, the politicians, and the security forces.
“Since this democratic government took over, the peace that this state was known for has slowly disappeared,” he said.
A retired headteacher named Rotimi Onigbinde thought that politicians were just making things worse to get what they wanted.
“You can see that all the noise making at first is normal. They are good at what they do. Things will go back to normal as soon as it cools down.
“My worry is that the power struggle in their camps will cause damage and loss of life,” he said.