As Osun State residents elect council chairmen and councillors today, there is a palpable fear of escalation of violence after six people were killed in the state on Monday. One of the casualties reportedly had a gaping hole in the head as he lay in a pool of blood. This bestiality has no place in a democracy. It must stop.

Osun has been unsettled over the political party that should control the grassroots tier of government.

The violence dated back to the LG election conducted under Adegboyega Oyetola, the immediate past governor of the state (now Minister of Marine and Blue Economy), until the eve of his departure in 2022 after one term in office.

Under Ademola Adeleke, his successor, a Federal High Court in Osogbo sacked the chairmen and councillors.

The APC went to the Appeal Court in Akure, which, on February 10, struck out the PDP case at the trial court for lack of competence and jurisdiction. The APC interprets this as reinstating the sacked council leaders, while the PDP argues that the court said nothing about returning the LG chiefs to office.

The Action Peoples Party also got a judgement nullifying the October 15, 2022, polls over non-compliance with the Electoral Act 2022.

Adeleke and the state PDP insist the High Court judgement subsists. The party is gearing up for the weekend’s election, looking to have a new set of council leadership after Saturday’s ballot.

On Thursday, the APC withdrew from the polls, citing the Akure judgement.

The sacked APC council leaders, exultant after the purported reinstatement order, attempted to retake their offices on Monday, but the bid ended tragically. As they made to re-enter their offices with their supporters, a matching crowd of PDP members resisted them.

The clash was replicated across Osun’s local councils, and six people died needlessly, many more injured. This is condemnable.

On Wednesday, the sacked council chairmen finally took over the secretariats with barely two days to the scheduled polls. This is a recipe for anarchy.

The PDP and APC have been playing the blame game. Adeleke accused Oyetola of plotting to “create chaos and anarchy” in Osun on “an agenda to enforce a non-existent court judgement”.

The APC said the governor was derisive of the judiciary by not obeying court orders.

This is a brazen quest for power and control of the state’s resources. The LGs are a veritable vehicle to power. Controlling them puts the occupants in good stead to grab more power.

Possessed by this lusty demon, politicians do anything to get it. But they should be reminded that democracy and elections are not war.

Osun is at a tipping point. If not well managed, things could degenerate into the better-forgotten days of the early 1960s when the quest for power and personal ego plunged the Western Region into a protracted nightmare.

Operation Wetie (meaning douse him with petrol and burn him) witnessed widespread rioting, looting, and murder.

It is grossly irresponsible for the ruling PDP and opposition APC to allow their interests to degenerate into loss of life. Therefore, politicians must behave better. They must not resort to self-help. The political killings show that politicians are only after their selfish interests, not service to the people. Political violence runs against the ethos of democracy.

Indeed, the courts ought to have done better in the Osun case. Why would a case filed in 2022 linger till 2025? Cases must be concluded without undue delay. This conveys a sense of fair and unbiased arbitration.

The police and other security agencies must stop looking the other way when crimes are about to be committed. Nigeria must learn from its mistakes and grow with democracy. (The PUNCH Editorial)