By Michael Ofulue, Osogbo

The Osun State Government has strongly criticised the stance of a self-acclaimed group, The Osun Masterminds, regarding the recent violent crisis triggered by the forceful takeover of local government secretariats.

The government accused the group of distorting facts in an attempt to rewrite history, describing its position as an attack on the truth and a betrayal of the people who endured the violence.

In a statement signed by the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Oluomo Kolapo Alimi, the government argued that the group had misrepresented events surrounding the crisis.

Alimi maintained that the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSSIEC) conducted the local government elections in line with the provisions of the law.

“Ordinarily, we would have ignored the positions of The Osun Masterminds, given the character of its membership and political leanings. However, we find it necessary to clarify some false assumptions made in its statement,” Alimi stated.

He dismissed any ambiguity regarding the status of officials produced by the October 15, 2022, election held under the administration of Gboyega Oyetola, pointing out that a valid judgment from a suit filed by the Action Peoples Party (APP) had nullified their election.

“Even the February 10, 2025, judgment of the Appeal Court, which The Osun Masterminds attempted to use to justify its claims, did not order the reinstatement of the sacked officials. Shockingly, certain members of the group have taken to various media platforms to defend and propagate this troubling assault on democracy, exposing their partisan interests in the matter,” he added.

The commissioner dismissed the group’s criticism of the February 22, 2025, local government election as misleading, accusing it of merely echoing the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC).

He insisted that the election was conducted in full compliance with the country’s electoral laws.

“Contrary to the group’s flawed reasoning, we boldly assert that the election adhered to all legal provisions,” Alimi said.

He criticised the group’s stance as hypocritical, questioning why it opposed an election that was conducted with a 365-day notice, in line with the Electoral Act, 2022, yet defended a previous election that was held within 60 days of its notice, in violation of Sections 28 and 150 of the Act, as well as the OSSIEC 2022 laws.

“To make matters worse, The Osun Masterminds, which neither observed nor participated in the local government election, has put forward a baseless opinion without providing any evidence to back its claims. It is clear that the group is following the APC’s script to discredit the election, but their efforts have failed. The election was not only conducted in line with the law but also upheld by a court of competent jurisdiction,” Alimi asserted.

He urged the group to abandon its “deceitful approach,” arguing that the people of Osun could see through its alleged political agenda.

Alimi further defended Governor Ademola Adeleke’s handling of the crisis, highlighting his efforts to prevent the violence by calling attention to the situation. When his pleas were ignored, he urged members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to help avert further bloodshed.

“To illustrate the extent of The Osun Masterminds’ partisanship, the group conveniently mentioned the name of Remi Abass, an APC member killed in the crisis, while deliberately ignoring PDP members—Damilare Olumide and Oyebamiji Taiwo from Boripe LG, Abdullahi Olawale Ayanfe from Ola-Oluwa LG, Bakare Toheed from Ikire LG, as well as Hon. Kasali Adebayo and Mr. Ismaila Ibrahim from Ilesa West—who were reportedly killed by suspected APC thugs,” Alimi stated.

While acknowledging the right of every citizen to hold political beliefs, the commissioner condemned what he described as attempts by partisan groups to manipulate public opinion for political gain.

“The recent crisis in Osun was entirely avoidable, but desperate politicians sought to impose themselves on the people. Groups like The Osun Masterminds cannot distort this fact,” he concluded.