…says opposition states aren’t occupied territories

By Luminous Jannamike

ABUJA — The African Democratic Congress, ADC, on Wednesday accused the Federal Government of using the freezing of statutory allocations to local governments in Osun State as a political weapon ahead of the state’s governorship election, describing the move as ‘political terrorism.’

The opposition party said the political standoff was no longer just about politicians, arguing that ordinary residents were now bearing the consequences as funds meant for workers’ salaries, primary healthcare, schools and other essential grassroots services remained tied up in the dispute.

In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC alleged that the withholding of local government funds was part of a wider campaign to weaken the Osun State Government before the election.

It also accused federal authorities of tolerating the continued occupation of local government councils by unelected APC loyalists, while citing alleged arrests of opposition figures and other actions it said were aimed at destabilising the state.

“Political opponents are not enemy combatants. Opposition-controlled states are not occupied territories. Public institutions do not belong to whichever party temporarily controls the federal government,” Abdullahi said.

The party argued that withholding the allocations amounted to using public welfare as leverage in a political contest, warning that essential services had become casualties of partisan rivalry.

According to the statement, “This sinister move confirms that the Tinubu-led Federal Government will do anything, including starving the people of Osun State, to achieve its political objectives. Yet no democracy worthy of the name deliberately sacrifices the welfare of innocent citizens in pursuit of partisan political ends.”

The ADC further contended that President Bola Tinubu’s approach to politics risked undermining democratic engagement by treating electoral contests as warfare rather than competition among political parties.

Abdullahi said: “We have noted earlier that President Bola Tinubu’s mentality, which regards political contests as warfare, constitutes a serious threat to democratic engagement. But even in war, there are rules of engagement that recognise human dignity and place limits on the conduct of adversaries.”

The party also alleged that unelected APC loyalists had continued to occupy local government councils in Osun State for more than a year despite what it described as the absence of democratic legitimacy, accusing federal institutions of failing to uphold constitutional order.

It further claimed that candidates and leaders of the Accord Party had been subjected to indiscriminate arrests for political reasons, while alleging that armed hoodlums linked to the APC had intimidated communities across the state with military-grade weapons as security agencies stood by.

The statement also alleged that some elements within the Nigeria Police had protected armed groups involved in acts of political intimidation, saying such actions, if established, would blur the line between the impartial authority of the state and partisan political interests.

“Taken together, these actions reveal something more dangerous than ordinary political competition. They point to the deliberate promotion of a state of anarchy by federal authorities and agencies whose constitutional duty is to preserve law, order, and democratic stability,” the statement added.

The ADC called for the immediate restoration of all statutory allocations due to Osun’s local governments, an end to what it described as federal intimidation of the state and the restoration of constitutional order, insisting that the people of Osun should be allowed to choose their leaders freely.

“Political opponents are not enemy combatants. Opposition-controlled states are not occupied territories. Public institutions do not belong to whichever party temporarily controls the federal government,” Abdullahi said.