The inauguration of the Local Government caretaker committee in Osun State was marred by protests on Wednesday, as aggrieved members of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) demonstrated their displeasure against an alleged imposition.
The demonstrators simultaneously gathered in Osogbo, the state capital, and Ede, Governor Ademola Adeleke’s hometown, while the ceremony took place at the government office in Abere, Osogbo.
In Osogbo West Local Government, supporters of Chairmanship aspirant Segun Akeju took to the streets to express their dissatisfaction over his alleged removal from the appointed caretaker chairmen list. Carrying placards with inscriptions such as “No Akeju, no chairman” and “Akeju is our choice for Honorable Chairman Osogbo West Local govt,” the protesters amassed at the popular Ola-Iya flyover.
The demonstrators claimed that Osogbo West Local Government primarily consists of non-indigenes who were born and raised in Osogbo, emphasizing that Akeju had contributed significantly to the party’s success and Governor Adeleke’s victory in the last gubernatorial election.
Yusuf Ajisafe, one of the protesters, stated, “We are protesting against the removal of our candidate as the chairman of Osogbo West local government. We reject the imposition of another candidate as our chairman. We are fighting for the young man whose name was removed yesterday (Tuesday) around 3 pm on the ground that he’s not from Osogbo.”