LG Crisis: “IGP Wants to Assassinate Governor Adeleke” – Osun PDP Alleges

The Osun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, of plotting to assassinate Governor Ademola Adeleke and destabilize the state through orchestrated violence. The allegations were made by Osun PDP chairman, Sunday Bisi, during a press conference in Osogbo on Wednesday.

Bisi claimed that the IGP had deployed Police Special Forces to escort individuals described as miscreants into local government council secretariats, with the intent of creating unrest. He described the move as an attempted coup and part of a broader conspiracy to eliminate the governor.

The accusations come amid the ongoing local government crisis in Osun State. Violent clashes erupted on Monday as sacked local government chairmen and councillors of the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) attempted to reclaim their offices. The Osun State Police Command confirmed that six people lost their lives in the violence, including Remi Abass, the ousted chairman of Irewole Local Government Area, who was killed in Ikire town.

According to Bisi, Governor Adeleke had been in discussions with the IGP to restore peace, but the police leadership’s actions have only escalated tensions. He called on the international community to intervene and pressure Egbetokun to halt any alleged plans against the governor’s life.

Bisi further alleged that elements within the APC have been conspiring to remove Adeleke from office since the party lost the governorship election in 2022. He questioned why the IGP allegedly bypassed the governor in responding to the security crisis, suggesting that the police chief was taking sides in the dispute.

The PDP chairman criticized Egbetokun for what he described as a disregard for due process and security protocols. He claimed that nearly ten people had died within 48 hours of the unrest and accused the police of emboldening those responsible for the violence rather than ensuring the safety of citizens.

Bisi also suggested that the police intervention was aimed at disrupting the upcoming local government elections, scheduled for Saturday, February 22, 2025. He alleged that the IGP was willing to allow further bloodshed to prevent the elections from taking place, adding that Osun State would not be intimidated, even in the face of an IGP whose tenure had been controversially extended.