NURTW Crisis Being Orchestrated To Intimidate Osun Voters, Adeleke’s Commissioner Alleges

-Urges Tinubu to Allow Osun People Decide Election

– Faults LG Autonomy Implementation

– Questions Police Neutrality

The Osun State Commissioner for Political Affairs and Intergovernmental Relations, Hon. Biyi Odunlade, has alleged that the lingering leadership crisis within the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) is being deliberately orchestrated to intimidate voters ahead of the August 15 governorship election.

Odunlade made the allegation on Wednesday while speaking at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Guest Platform in Osogbo, where he accused the Federal Government of using security institutions and political influence to create fear among residents.
According to the commissioner, the tension being witnessed in parts of the state is not accidental but part of a coordinated effort to discourage voter participation during the election.

“The crisis in the NURTW is orchestrated. It is organised and programmed to hijack power from the sitting government by creating fear and instability. The aim is to intimidate voters and create an atmosphere where people will be afraid to come out and vote,” he alleged.

Odunlade further claimed that some political actors had devised plans to instil fear in strategic locations on election day.

“I asked an APC member what their strategy was because people were saying they were not popular. He told me they would start from the markets because market women are easily frightened. Once they hear gunshots, ordinary voters who have no political affiliation will stay away from polling units. That is dangerous for democracy,” he said.

The commissioner also criticised the role of federal security agencies, alleging that they had failed to act impartially in the state.
He specifically questioned the participation of the Osun State Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Gotan, in government security engagements.

“There is hardly any security committee meeting that the Commissioner of Police attends personally. He always sends representatives. At a time when security is critical, especially ahead of an election, that should not be the case,” he said.

Odunlade equally accused the Federal Government of applying double standards in the implementation of local government autonomy.

He recalled that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu challenged the withholding of Lagos State local government allocations when he served as governor, arguing that Osun deserved similar treatment.

“When President Tinubu was Governor of Lagos State, he went to court over withheld allocations and eventually got justice. Today, Osun State’s allocation has been withheld, yet the same sympathy is not extended to the state. We are asking for consistency and fairness,” he said.

The commissioner appealed to President Tinubu to allow the people of Osun State to determine their next governor without external interference.

“The President should allow Osun people to decide who governs them. Let the state breathe. Democracy is about allowing the people to make their choice freely,” he stated.
Speaking on the proposed establishment of state police, Odunlade expressed support for the initiative but insisted that the Federal Government must first provide a transparent operational framework.

“I support state police because policing should be closer to the people. But Nigerians deserve to know who will appoint the officers, who will control them and how they will be funded. Until those questions are answered, public confidence will remain low,” he said.

Odunlade also defended Governor Ademola Adeleke’s handling of recent political tensions, saying the governor had consistently prioritised peace over confrontation.

According to him, Governor Adeleke demonstrated restraint during the local government leadership crisis by directing elected council officials to stay away from council secretariats in order to prevent violence.

“The governor has continued to prioritise peace because he believes no political office is worth the blood of any Osun citizen,” he said.

Highlighting the achievements of the Adeleke administration, the commissioner cited ongoing road construction projects, the rehabilitation of primary healthcare centres, prompt payment of salaries and pensions, agricultural interventions, youth empowerment programmes and cooperative loan schemes as evidence of the government’s performance.

He maintained that Governor Adeleke’s performance in office, rather than intimidation or federal influence, would ultimately determine the outcome of the August 15 governorship election.