Oyo State Governor, ‘Seyi Makinde, has cautioned the All Progressives Congress (APC) against using federal influence to disrupt local government administration in Osun State.

Speaking at the swearing-in ceremony of 30 newly elected local government chairmen in Osogbo, Makinde urged all parties to follow due process and avoid resorting to self-help.

Referencing the recent South-West Governors’ Forum meeting in Lagos which included both PDP and APC governors he emphasized the need for unity in addressing regional issues.

“When events started unfolding in Osun State to the extent that lives were lost, we felt the need to sound a note of warning,” Makinde said. “We don’t want a repeat of the ‘Wild Wild West’ era in the South-West.”

He stressed the importance of respecting democratic procedures, warning against the use of federal influence to undermine state-level processes. “Even if you have a court judgment, there is a process. You cannot use federal might to truncate that process. This is a federal arrangement,” he stated.

Makinde congratulated the newly elected chairmen and urged them to prioritize grassroots development while fulfilling their campaign promises.

The Oyo governor attended the event alongside Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed, chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, in solidarity with Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke.

The Osun local government elections have been marred by controversy, with the PDP winning all chairmanship seats. The APC rejected the results, while security agencies and Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) Lateef Fagbemi had advised against holding the election due to legal and security concerns. Despite this, Adeleke proceeded with the poll, insisting there was no going back.