Osun LG Election: We don’t have confidence in your commission, APC to OSIEC chair

 By Deborah Oladejo, Osogbo

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State has faulted the chairman of the State Independent Electoral Commission (OSIEC), Hashim Abioye over his disclosure of the arrangements preparatory towards the conduct of local government council elections in the state next year.

The OSIEC had fixed February 2025 for the 30 local government council areas, the Area Council, the 32 Local Council Development Authorities and the six Area Development Authorities elections across the state.

The Osun State chairman of the APC, Sooko Tajudeen Lawal, in a statement issued by the party’s Director of Media and Information, Chief Kola Olabisi, said the OSIEC chairman was being economical with the truth on the mission of his commission.

Lawal stated that he had expected the OSIEC chairman to delve into his eligibility issue during the press conference which has put a big question mark on what might be the outcome of the expected statutory functions of the commission under his watch.

He noted that one does not need to be a soothsayer to observe and conclude that the primary mission of the Abioye-led OSIEC which is orchestrated by his employer is in the spirit of job for the boys as there is no justifiable reason for the current questionable OSIEC to rush into an election which is dead on arrival.

The APC chairman said,  “Why the rush for the conduct of a local government council election when the eligibility of the head of the electoral umpire is a subject of litigation in the Federal High Court, Osogbo? Also, even the litigation over the illegal sacking of the LG chairmen by Governor Adeleke is still in court.

“Why the ill-motive connivance to organize the elections which Abioye and his principal know deep down within them that it is destined to fail if not their consideration for monetary gain as there is no way such elections are held without billions of naira going into the drain?

“We are not surprised as a party that Abioye is coming up with an idea of elections by this time that he still needs to defend his eligibility in the court of law as anyone divinely gifted with an attribute of hindsight will not blink an eye before he comes to the conclusion that the mission of the  Abioye-led OSSIEC is to loot the commission.

“It is now clear that one of the motivations of  Governor Ademola Adeleke in encouraging the locking up of the courts in the state is to engage in illegalities without allowing for an opportunity to give room for a redress in the court of law.

“We, as a party, don’t have an iota of confidence in the leadership and composition of the Abioye-led OSIEC and we are convinced beyond reasonable doubt that nothing good can come out of the commission that is designed to fail.”, Lawal stated.

On the readiness of the OSIEC under Abioye to establish Osun State Local Government Electoral and Democratic Institute, the state APC chairman, explained that there is no justifiable or convincing reason for the commission to embark on such venture now as it cannot be categorized as a priority.