Osun: APM withdraws from LG polls, alleges compromised process

By Deborah Oladejo, Osogbo

The Allied Peoples Movement (APM) in Osun State has announced its withdrawal from the local government election scheduled for tomorrow Saturday.

In a statement issued on Friday, APM Chairman Hon. Adewale Adebayo expressed disappointment over the absence of Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSIEC) staff, including its chairman, Barrister Hashim Abioye, from their office since Wednesday.

He alleged that the reported relocation of voting materials to the Osun State Government House further fueled suspicions of a compromised electoral process.

Adebayo reiterated that APM would not participate in the election.

He said, “We are very disappointed that all OSIEC staff, including the chairman, Barrister Hashim Abioye, have been absent from their headquarters since Wednesday. On Thursday, when we attempted to officially deliver our withdrawal letter, no official was found on the premises.

“We confirm that Abioye has abandoned his office, making it difficult for us to submit our letter. This validates our earlier concerns that all voting materials have been relocated to the Osun State Government House.

“We state again that we are not participating in the illegal local government election slated for Saturday.”