The Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, has faulted Governor Ademola Adeleke over his directive to immediately transition to a state-run Park Management System, describing it as illegal and unconstitutional.
It would be recalled that Governor Adeleke, following the violent incident in Ile-Ife on Sunday, where Olalekan Ajagungbade was killed, ordered the proscription of the National Union of Road Transport Workers.
Reacting in a statement by its Director of Media and Information, Kola Olabisi, the APC, said “While we frown at the use of extra-judicial means of settling scores by any person or group of persons for whatever reason, we make bold to state unequivocally that what happened in Ile-Ife that led to the avoidable killing of Emir was a confirmation of our persistent cries and complaints before the 15th August, 2026 governorship election that there were many illegal arms and ammunition in the custody of non-state actors who have been terrorising APC members and supporters in particular, and innocent inhabitants of the state in general.
“We enjoin the Inspector-General of Police to urgently prevail on the State Commissioner of Police to mop up illegally acquired arms and ammunition in the hands of political hoodlums who have constituted themselves into security risks in the state.
“The situation where no fewer than 37 of our members and supporters were unjustifiably killed by Accord thugs before the last governorship election was unhealthy for democratic growth. It would also be recalled that 35 of our members and supporters were killed by PDP hoodlums before the 2022 governorship election in Osun State.”
The APC further condemned what it described as the hasty and illegal response of Governor Adeleke to the killing.
“Mr. Governor is hereby reminded that he is embarking on another illegal and unprofitable venture akin to his illegal use of obnoxious Executive Orders to sack legally elected APC local government chairmen and councillors in 2022, a decision that has become an albatross on his administration.
“The legal think-tank of Governor Adeleke should inform him that he lacks the constitutional authority to appoint the leadership of motor parks, as such does not fall under the purview of his powers as Governor.
“While state governors sometimes intervene or attempt to manage parks or transport unions like the NURTW for security or administrative reasons, various court rulings in Nigeria have repeatedly declared direct state takeover or appointment of park managers as an unconstitutional infringement on local government powers.
“It is trite law under the 1999 Constitution as amended that the control, establishment and regulation of motor parks fall under the local government councils, which is the third tier of government. Section 7(1) guarantees a system of local government by democratically elected councils, while the Constitution assigns the direct administration and revenue collection of public motor parks to local authorities rather than the federal or state government,” it stated.
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