Fire-for-fire: The man, his promise, its fulfillment

• Published date: 21 January 2023
• Publication title: Nigeria - The Nation

SENATOR Ademola Jackson Nurudeen Adeleke is the current governor of Osun state and the People's Democratic Party is the ruling party. 'So what?' you might say. Well, the last 12 years had seen the All Progressives Congress (APC) govern the affairs of the state, with the last four years witnessing a raised standard of governance and enviable tranquility for which Osun was glowingly celebrated by national and international actors.

But since July 17 when Senator Adeleke was declared winner of the gubernatorial 'vote count' by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and since the swearing-in ceremony on November 27, it has been a dour, doom-laden feel in the state. The harrowing violence and extrajudicial killings in the state sum the situation up, leaving well-meaning citizens everywhere physically speechless and psychologically wounded.

The PDP's culture of violence has been a source of concern over the years, and those who live in or follow news from Osun will recall the several vociferations of the Oyetola's administration about the inability of the PDP to conduct its affairs without mayhem. Sadly, those who cannot see beyond their nose regarded the calls as mere political statements. How else can a sane mind explain a party's Ward Congress, for instance, leading to deaths, injuries and the destruction of properties in places like Ipetumodu and Iwo?

What other explanations can be given for the gruesome killing of innocent citizens that plunged some families into needless acrimony in Ede Town on August 5, 2022 during just a Ward meeting of the party's elements? Let's also not forget the alleged mastermind of the killing, Adeleke's own lead security aide.

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Those who trivialised Adeleke's pre-election promise of 'fire-for-fire' can see for themselves how Osun...