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Worried by the number of casualities recorded during the face-off between members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC), former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has blamed President Bola Tinubu for aiding his party members to allegedly attack members of the opposition over the control of local governments administration in the state.
Atiku added that the President could have prevented the clashes had he intervened and prevented members of his party from storming the 30 local government area council secretariats to seize control without obtaining any directive from court.
He stated this on Tuesday while reacting to the clashes that occurred in the state, just as the former presidential candidate commended residents who stood to stop the APC from taking over the councils.
This came hours after about eight persons were reported dead during clashes that occurred across the state.
Atiku said: “Nigerians bore witness to a chilling display of lawlessness yesterday, as the Tinubu-led All Progressives Congress (APC) exposed the depths of its desperation to retain power at all costs — through sheer political brigandage and the subversion of democracy.
“In Osun State, the APC orchestrated a full-scale assault on the democratic process, attempting to hijack the local government elections through brute force. Armed thugs and mercenaries, operating under the party’s protection, launched an audacious bid to seize control of all 30 local government area council secretariats. And yet, the so-called national leadership of the APC and the presidency watched in complicit silence.
“Had it not been for the fearless resistance of Osun people — who stood their ground against the APC’s rampaging foot soldiers — democracy in the state would have been trampled under the boots of political marauders acting at the behest of their party’s overlords.
“Let this be clear: Osun State will never bow to anti-democratic forces. The people have shown beyond doubt that they will not allow their electoral rights to be stolen, no matter the level of intimidation.
“We demand that security agencies deployed for Saturday’s elections uphold their constitutional duty with professionalism, refusing to be used as enforcers of APC’s criminal agenda. The world is watching.
“These are dangerous times. The APC has abandoned any pretence of democratic legitimacy, resorting instead to brute force in its bid to cling to power — even as the people have overwhelmingly rejected it.
“We commend the brave citizens of Osun for standing up to the tyranny that sought to break them. Their resilience is a beacon of hope in the face of unrelenting oppression.
“Tinubu’s APC has left no doubt — it will stop at nothing to subvert democracy and impose itself against the will of the people. But Nigerians must resist. The time-honored warning remains true: eternal vigilance is the price of liberty.
“President Bola A. Tinubu and his dwindling band of enablers must cease their reckless acts of political sabotage — not just in Osun or Lagos, but across Nigeria. The people demand governance, not chaos. Nigerians will not sit idly while their democracy is hijacked by a power-drunk regime intent on setting the country on fire”.
