The Ondo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to consider declaring a state of emergency in the state due to the alarming rise in killings across various communities.
The PDP’s call for emergency rule comes despite Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa’s measures to ensure security across the state, including equipping security agencies with necessary gadgets and tools to enhance their operations.
In a strongly worded statement, the PDP accused Aiyedatiwa of gross dereliction of duty, alleging that over 50 residents have been gruesomely murdered in less than a month without any arrests or meaningful government action.
The party expressed deep concern over what it described as “unprovoked and unrestrained killings” by suspected armed herdsmen and other criminal elements, lamenting that the government has failed in its constitutional obligation to protect lives and property.
The PDP further alleged on Tuesday, that the governor’s inaction may be tied to political debts owed to powerful individuals within the All Progressives Congress (APC), suggesting that many of the perpetrators may be from the geopolitical zone of Aiyedatiwa’s alleged political benefactors.
Describing the situation as “indicative of helplessness, hopelessness and compromise,” the PDP urged Governor Aiyedatiwa to stop playing politics with the lives of Ondo citizens and demanded urgent federal intervention.
“We call on President Tinubu to take note of the state government’s incapacitation and prepare to declare a state of emergency on security if these senseless killings continue,” the statement read.
