The Osun State Government, on Saturday, rejected the advice of the police to suspend the ongoing local government election.
The government, which accused the police of alleged bias and partisanship, said, “the pretence of the service to be serving public good while actually promoting the illegality of the APC reinforces our rejection of a Greek gift.”
This was contained in a statement by the Osun State Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi.
The police, in a statement by the Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), Olumuyiwa Adejobi, advised the Osun State government to suspend the council poll.
According to the Police, intelligence gathering indicated that various groups, including political elements and other interest parties, were mobilising to instigate unrest, disrupt public peace, and undermine the democratic order.
“Given this imminent threat to security, the NPF strongly advises the Osun State government to suspend the planned elections forthwith in the interest of public safety and national stability,” Adejobi said.
However, the state government, while acknowledging Police advice said it was rejecting it on the ground of rule of law and aversion to police partisanship.
Alimi explained and contended that “from the beginning of this face off, the police has breached best practices by its open support for the APC, a party that is pushing for illegality through a non- existing court order.
“The whole world knows how the police actively aided the APC to enforce a reinstatement order that was never issued by any court of law.
“A law enforcement agency has suddenly become a partisan wing of a political party, the APC, thereby losing all toga of a fair law agency. The negative role of the police to ignite the current face off made its advice a poison chocolate.
“Beyond the above, we also call the attention of the police to the court judgment. It contains three orders which affirm vacancies in Osun councils by authenticating the sacking of the APC council chieftains, directed the police and other security agencies to provide security for the election and gave go ahead to fresh LG elections by Saturday 22nd.”