The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has described as “political terrorism”, the freezing of statutory allocations due to the local government areas in Osun State by the All Progressives Congress (APC) led Federal Government.
ADC in a statement by the National Publicity Secretary Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, accused President Bola Tinubu and the APC government of using the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to undermine Osun State government ahead of the August 15 governorship election in the state.
“This sinister move confirms that the Tinubu-led Federal Government will do anything, including starving the people of Osun State, to achieve its political objectives.
“Yet no democracy worthy of the name deliberately sacrifices the welfare of innocent citizens in pursuit of partisan political ends.
“The salaries of workers, the operation of primary healthcare centres, the education of children, rural infrastructure, and other essential public services have all been turned into bargaining chips in President Tinubu’s political contest,” the ADC stated.
The party recalled that President Tinubu had earlier regarded political contests as warfare, described such statement as “a serious threat to democratic engagement.”
ADC however stated that even in war, there are rules of engagement that recognise human dignity and place limits on the conduct of adversaries.
“Democracies are expected to hold themselves to an even higher standard,” the party said, stating that the freezing of local government funds is only the latest chapter of the APC in what has become a systematic campaign to undermine constitutional government in the state.
“For well over a year, unelected APC loyalists have continued their illegal occupation of Local Government Councils, in open disregard for democratic legitimacy and the rule of law.
“Instead of protecting constitutional order, federal institutions have looked the other way and even encouraged the illegality,” the party stated.
ADC observed that candidates and leaders of the Accord Party have been subjected to indiscriminate arrests, “not because they constitute a threat to public safety, but because political intimidation has become an accepted instrument of politics by a Federal Government that has abandoned all pretences to ethics or morality.”
The party condemned political violence in Osun Stated, and accused the APC of using political thugs to terrorise communities, intimidate political opponents, and undermine peace across the state.
“Rather than confront criminality with impartiality, security agencies have appeared content to watch from the sidelines,” ADC stated, stating that what is going on in Osun State is no longer political competition but “promotion of a state of anarchy by federal authorities and agencies whose constitutional duty is to preserve law, order, and democratic stability.”
The party therefore demanded immediate restoration of all statutory allocations due to the local government areas of Osun State, the withdrawal of all forms of federal intimidation against the people of the state, and the restoration of constitutional order.
“What the people of Osun deserve is the democratic right to freely choose who governs them. But right now, they have been placed under a siege,” ADC regretted.
