Security personnel deployed to Osun as candidates battle for APC governorship ticket

Some shooting incidents were recently recorded in Osogbo, the state capital, as suspected thugs reportedly intimidate residents of the area due to insecurity.

On Friday, February 18, 2022, a team of armed security personnel was seen in and around the state secretariat of the party.

The battle for the party’s ticket is largely between the state governor, Gboyega Oyetola and Moshood Adeoti, the anointed candidate of the former governor of the state, Rauf Aregbesola.

A former Deputy Speaker of the State’s House of Representatives, Lasun Yusuf is also in the race for the APC governorship ticket.

During the build-up to the election holding today, Saturday, February 19, 2022, there had been political tension in Osun State with a series of incidents involving political thugs.

Lately, some shooting incidents have been recorded in Osogbo, the state capital, as suspected thugs reportedly intimidate residents of the area.

The situation has also been intensified by the war of words between supporters of the governor and those of Adeoti, the candidate of the Minister of Interior.

Also, a monarch in the state, the Olowu of Kuta, Oba Adekunle Makama has cried out about the infiltration of his community by non-state actors who, according to him had stockpiled arms and ammunition ahead of the election.

But the State Police Command, Yemisi Opalola, has assured residents of the state of their safety during the primary election.

“Preparation for the APC primary election is intact. We have more men now. I won’t say the actual number of those deployed. By God’s grace, we have mounted checks in all the boundaries to the state. We are ready for the task.” Opalola said.

In a separate statement, the spokesperson, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Osun, Olabisi Atanda, has also said that the Commandant, Emmanuel Ocheja, had ordered a full-scale covert operation to check any act of criminality by hoodlums, thugs, and miscreants.

This according to her followed “insinuations and allegations in some quarters that some nefarious elements have stockpiled the uniforms of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and the Nigeria Correctional Service with the intent of distributing them to non-state actors for use during the All Progressives Congress (APC) Governorship primary elections.”

The governorship election in the state is expected to hold on Saturday, July 16, 2022.