Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has accused the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, of aiding and abetting illegal actions in the state’s local government administration, calling the situation a direct assault on democracy.
During a meeting with British diplomats, led by Deputy High Commissioner Jonny Baxter, Adeleke criticized the IGP for allegedly enforcing a non-existent court order to support members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in taking over local councils.
“It is unfortunate and a disservice to democracy that the Inspector General of Police is colluding with the APC to enforce a non-existing court order. This is a serious threat to democracy in Nigeria,” Adeleke said in a statement issued by his spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed.
The governor raised concerns about what he called a “dangerous precedent” and stressed the need to uphold democratic principles in the state. He added that security forces had been complicit in supporting the opposition, which he claimed led to the illegal takeover of local government secretariats.
“You are in my state at a critical juncture in our political life. We face an existential threat to our democratic life from those who should protect democracy,” Adeleke said. “But the opposition, supported by the police, went ahead to break into the local government secretariats. Security men openly supported them to enforce illegality.”
Despite the ongoing tensions, Adeleke reaffirmed that the state’s local government elections would proceed as scheduled. “Nonetheless, our local government election is holding on Saturday. Our people are ready for elections. We will not allow democracy to be destroyed,” he stated.
The governor also called on the international community to take note of what he described as the “rape of democracy” in Osun, particularly pointing out the negative role of security agents in the crisis.
“We call on the diplomatic community to take judicious note of the rape of democracy ongoing in Osun state. We particularly call attention to the negative role of security agents in the crisis,” he said. “All stakeholders must abide by the rule of law in a democracy. There is no room for self-help.”
In response, Deputy High Commissioner Jonny Baxter reaffirmed the United Kingdom’s commitment to democratic governance and urged all political actors in Osun to prioritize peaceful engagement.
“Nigeria is a key partner to the UK, and we encourage all stakeholders to uphold democratic values, ensure peaceful governance, and respect legal institutions,” Baxter said. “It is vital that law enforcement remains neutral and that political disputes are resolved through lawful channels.”