By OLAJIDE IDOWU

Mr Tajudeen Lawal, Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun, has directed the party’s local government chairmen and councillors to vacate their council secretariats.

The directive was issued in a statement by the party’s Director of Media and Information, Kola Olabisi, on Tuesday in Osogbo.

Tajudeen said the directive was a sign of respect for Aderemi Abass, a former chairman of Irewole Local Government Area, who was killed in Ikire on Monday.

He instructed them to comply with the order until further notice.

Lawal, describing Abass as a peace-loving man, condemned his killing as inhuman, wicked, and callous.

He commended the council chairmen for adhering to the Court of Appeal’s ruling.

Lawal appealed to the police to do everything possible to apprehend those responsible for the killing.

He added that the party’s leadership would ensure that Abass did not die in vain.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports tensions between the APC and PDP following the Court of Appeal’s ruling on the sacked APC chairmen and councillors.

The PDP claimed the Court of Appeal’s Feb. 10 ruling did not reinstate the sacked APC officials, but the APC insisted on their return.

Conflict erupted on Monday as both parties claimed control of local government secretariats across the state.

The police later confirmed that six people died during the unrest.

A statement from the Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Yemisi Opalola, confirmed that several others sustained injuries.

She added that the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, had deployed mobile policemen to maintain peace in the state. (NAN)