They say politics is a dirty game, but in Osun State, it has become a battlefield where blood spills in the struggle for power.
The latest political clash in Osun state has left at least seven people dead, countless others injured, and a once peaceful state on the brink of anarchy.
The unrest erupted following a contentious Court of Appeal ruling, allegedly reinstating APC-elected local government chairmen and councillors.
What should have been a legal resolution quickly descended into violence.
Rival political factions clashed in deadly confrontations across multiple local government areas.
At the centre of the storm is Governor Ademola Adeleke, who has accused the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Gboyega Oyetola, and top security chiefs of orchestrating the chaos.
Also, the governor warned that they should be held responsible for the bloodshed that followed the court decision.
By Monday morning, Osun State had turned into a war zone.
Local government secretariats became battlegrounds as APC and PDP supporters clashed with machetes, guns, and other deadly weapons.
The most shocking incident occurred in Irewole Local Government Area, where a former chairman, Aderemi Abbas, was brutally killed.
A viral video showed his lifeless body in a pool of blood, with a gruesome wound to the head.
However, the bloodshed did not end there.
Reports confirmed two more deaths in Iragbiji, the headquarters of Boripe Local Government, where gun battles erupted between rival factions.
Also, more shootings occurred in Isokan, Olaoluwa, and Olorunda, with several others left injured as bullets rained down in the name of politics.
A State Under Siege
Eyewitnesses recounted scenes of armed hoodlums, wielding guns, charms, and machetes intimidating residents, smashing phones of anyone trying to record the chaos.
In Osogbo, the state capital, gunshots echoed through the streets as PDP and APC members clashed in a bloody showdown at the Osogbo Central Local Government Secretariat.
Terrified residents fled, abandoning roads and businesses as the city descended into anarchy.
The violence prompted Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to deploy additional tactical squads to Osun State.
He warns that the unrest posed a grave threat to democracy.
“The Nigeria Police Force strongly condemns these violent actions, which have disrupted peace, led to the destruction of property, and caused the loss of innocent lives. The perpetrators will be brought to justice,” read a statement by Force spokesperson Muyiwa Adejobi.
Politics Or Warfare?
The crisis has further widened the rift between the APC and PDP.
Osun State National Assembly caucus accuses Oyetola and security agents of attempting a “criminal takeover” of local governments.
According to Hon. Salam, who spoke on behalf of the caucus: “Osun residents woke up to a forceful invasion of local government offices by sacked officials, escorted by thugs and sporadic gunfire. These unlawful actions threaten the peace and stability we have enjoyed under Governor Adeleke’s administration”.
The caucus called on President Bola Tinubu to intervene.
They urge the National Security Adviser and Attorney General to rein in the APC’s “illegal” actions before Osun State descends into full-blown war.
Politics in Nigeria has long been a do-or-die affair, but the recent bloodshed in Osun State has once again raised the question: At what cost?
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With tensions still running high, the coming days will determine whether Osun will find peace or descend further into lawlessness.
But one thing is certain: in this game of politics, the people always pay the ultimate price.
