Yinka Kolawole
Following the move by the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSIEC) to conduct local government election on October 15, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday sounded a note warning to the Commission on the need to retrace its steps.
The PDP, however, advised the commission and its officials to avoid being used as tool for illegality.
The OSIEC chairman, Mr. Segun Oladitan, announced on Monday that the local government election would be conduct as scheduled for October 15, 2022.
But reacting to the announcement, the State Chairman of PDP Caretaker Committee, Dr. Akindele Adekunle, stated clearly that the party would shun the election because it is in conflict with provisions of the new Electoral Act.
Adekunle declared at a press conference that was held yesterday at the PDP’s secretariat, Osogbo, that the planned election is an effort in futility and a delibrate attempt to plunge the state further into financial abjection and misery.
He said: “For us in PDP, we have advised them that the OSIEC should not allow itself to be used as a tool for illegality. We as a matter of fact, sent delegation to the commission to tutor and enlighten them on consequences of turning themselves into prisoners of another man’s desperation.
“We have asked them to stop the local government election being planned by the state government because the election conflicts completely with provisions of the law.
“The planned election, we want to maintain, is a futile effort that will certainly not stand and as we’ve mentioned severally, it is an attempt to plunge the state further into financial abjection and misery.
“All men of good conscience should demand explanation from Mr. Gboyega Oyetola, on the reasons behind his insistence on conducting an election he knows is clearly against the Electoral Act. Or is Osun State no longer a constituent part of the Federal Republic of Nigeria where the act regulating conducts of election is clearly spelt out?
“Let me use this medium again to remind the defeated governor about pendency of litigations before the High Court of Osun State and the Federal High Court, Osogbo, in which the legitimacy of the commission as presently constituted, the constitutionality and legality of the planned local government election amongst others are being challenged.
“We are not unaware of a recently rushed bill by the Osun State House of Assembly to render life support to the brought in dead idea of railroading the state into a clearly illegal exercise. But, the law is settled that no state electoral law can override the provisions of the Electoral Act made by the National Assembly of Nigeria.
“Section 28 of the Electoral Act, 2022, stipulates that no election can hold until a notice of 360 days is given to all relevant stakeholders before such election.
“The Electoral Act also provides without any room for Mr. Oyetola’s kind of dilly dally, in section 29, a period of 180 days within which list of candidates must be published.”
“There’s no ambiguity in the fact that the period within which the outgoing APC’s administration in Osun State is left with, is clearly far less than the period stipulated in paragraphs 28 and 29 of the Electoral Act, 2022.
“This shows that the proposed election was never on the table of the APC’s government in the state until they got sacked at the poll by same people the governor and his juvenile team of power drunks had taken for granted for so long.
“It is also another kettle of fish where the billions of Naira bookmarked for the election is coming from. Is it from the same treasury that had often been declared red and empty, such that entitlements of the founding fathers and mothers of the state who are now pensioners were wickedly withheld? Was the exercise budgeted as required or is the governor, Mr. Oyetola, only glued to covering loose ends of his corrupt administration?”
“OSIEC, acting ignorant of clear provisions of the law in their lack of courage to resist the lure of icings on the bread of this pure affront on the constitution of our nation, will surely backfire without mercy, because as we have stated, it is discretional criminality without gauging the attendant consequences.
“Jettisoning section 150 (1) and (2) of the Electoral Act especially, which makes it compulsory for a state electoral body to follow the provisions of the Electoral Act in the procedure regulating elections to the local government as sub-paragraph 3 of the section invalidates any election by a state electoral body in contravention of the procedure stipulated in the Electoral Act.
“OSIEC is further reminded today that the Electoral Act in sub-paragraph 4 of section 150 makes it a criminal offence for any official of the state electoral body to breach the provision, as such deliberate offender is liable to be prosecuted.
The eagerness to waste state resources on this fruitless venture again makes it more criminal for members of OSIEC.
“It is our believe and hope that OSIEC members and other recalcitrant stakeholders take note of these warnings as being chronicled and properly noted for record purposes.
“We cannot but sympathise with the outgoing government for its failures occasioned by arrogance in cluelessness. However, Osun State and indeed the suffering masses in the State cannot be offered as guinea pigs by a man fighting himself over avoidable pitfalls.
“We again reiterate our call on the Inspector General of Police, IGP. Alkali Baba Usman, and the Osun State Commissioner of Police to take proactive steps to nip in the bud the likelihood of breach of the peace in the state as masses of the state are eager and more than ready to resist any action by the rejected government to further impoverish them by political gangsters without any modicum of morality and conscience.”
