Two civil society organisations in Osun State—the Initiative for Local Government Development and the Centre for Justice and Community Advocacy—have called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to declare a state of emergency in the state over what they described as continuous defiance of court rulings on local government administration.
The groups accused the Osun State Government of deliberately ignoring valid judgments of the Court of Appeal, warning that the situation has degenerated into violence with fatal consequences.
Addressing journalists at a press conference in Osogbo over the weekend, representatives of the organisations—Juliet Kanyinsola Adebayo, Faith Ayomide Adeniyi and Opeyemi Amusan—said Governor Ademola Adeleke’s refusal to comply with appellate court decisions had triggered a collapse of constitutional order in the state.
They cited the killing of the Chairman of Irewole Local Government Area, Remi Abass, as a direct fallout of the unresolved crisis.
According to the groups, Abass was murdered by political thugs inside the premises of the Irewole Local Government Secretariat in Ikire, describing the incident as a clear sign of a breakdown of law and order.
They warned that a democratic system where legally recognised officials are attacked and killed in their offices had slipped into anarchy.
The organisations urged the Senate to urgently intervene, cautioning that continued inaction could lead to further bloodshed. They referenced the Senate’s previous intervention in Rivers State, arguing that a similar approach was needed in Osun to prevent the crisis from escalating.
They also called on the Inspector-General of Police to fast-track investigations into the killing of Abass and ensure that all perpetrators are arrested and prosecuted.
While noting that some suspects are already standing trial at the Federal High Court in Abuja, the groups stressed that security agencies must pursue and apprehend all individuals still at large.
Appealing directly to President Tinubu, the CSOs called for the declaration of a state of emergency in Osun State, in line with constitutional provisions, to restore the rule of law, enforce court judgments and safeguard lives and property.
They maintained that the prolonged local government crisis, loss of lives and rising security threats necessitated urgent emergency action to stabilise the state.
