PDP secures court victory preventing Osun government from deploying Amotekun for tomorrow's polls

REGIONAL security outfit Amotekun has been barred from participating in tomorrow's gubernatorial elections in Osun State by an Osogbo high court which ruled that it does not have a constitutional mandate to do so.

Over recent years, heavily-armed herdsmen have been running riot across Nigeria, engaging in kidnapping, armed robbery and banditry. To address the problem, the six governors from across the southwest geo-political zone decided to launch a regional security outfit named Amotekun, which translates to leopard in the local Yoruba language.

Backing up their plans with an official launch in Ibadan, the six governors supplied Operation Amotekun with vehicles and equipment. Then, each state of assembly across the geo-political zone passed by-laws making Amotekun a legal entity as far back as November 2020, with governors then assenting to the bills, making the outfit legal.

Tomorrow, Osun State goes to the polls to elect a new governor and in the run-up to the polls, a federal high court sitting in Osogbo, the state capital, restrained Amotekun Corps from participating in the exercise. In addition the court also told the Independent National Electoral Commission (Inec) not to make use of the Amotekun Corps as part of the personnel to be deployed to provide security in the election.

Furthermore, the court warned Amotekun not to serve as either security personnel or volunteers in the elections. In a suit filed by the main opposition the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Governor Gboyega Oyetola of the ruling All Progressives Congress, cannot deploy members of the Amotekun Corps in any capacity tomorrow.

In part, the court the order reads: “That the first defendant (Inec) is hereby restrained from requesting the deployment of the second defendant (Amotekun) as part of the security personnel deployable for the purpose of Osun 2022 governorship election pending the determination of the originating summons filed in the suit.”

Hashim Abioye, the PDP legal adviser in Osun State, said: “With this order, it is forbidden for Inec to make use of Amotekun as part of the security personnel to be drafted for the election. As I speak to you, those concerned, including Inec, the police and other relevant agencies, have been appropriately served.”

When created, there had been fears that Amotekun could become a tool in the hands of state governors and there were calls for safeguards to be put in place to prevent this. In a major legal victory, the PDP has successfully prevented the Amotekun Corps from being politicised, setting a precedence.