Oyo LG poll: Knocks, kudos as parties express divergent views

Some political stakeholders in Oyo State have kicked against the recent announcement of the Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission (OYSIEC), questioning their sincerity in conducting election that will be free, acceptable and credible in all the 33 Local Government Areas (LGAs) and 35 newly created Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) in the state.

The Chairman of the commission, Mr. Jide Ajeigbe, had last Friday promised during a press conference that the commission was ready to conduct free and fair election on Saturday, May 12th this year.

Ajeigbe while speaking solicited the support of all and sundry including political parties, journalists in ensuring that the election is free from rancour.

While the Publicity Secretary of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, Mr. Wasiu Olawale Sadare in a telephone conversation with an online medium said there was no need for anyone to exercise fear, saying those who were in doubt of the commission were only jittery, the state chapter of Socialist Party of Nigeria (SPN) described it as highly undemocratic which is capable of giving room for criminal manipulation of the outcome of the election, while the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in the state expressed doubt over the sincerity of Governor Abiola Ajimobi and the electoral commission to conduct the election as scheduled.

Sadare insisted that the ruling APC does not exercise any fear since the state government and the commission have expressed their readiness in conducting credible poll.

He said “As a party, we don’t have any doubt over the sincerity and readiness of the commission, because OYSIEC and the state governor have done good job. The PDP is only jittery, the party is unpopular in the state. That is why they are exercising fear. So they are the one in fear. They are not sure of what they will meet.

“We are now appealing to other stakeholders to concentrate on the election. We are now concentrating on how to meet the deadline to conduct the party primary.

“You cannot predict the outcome of any election. You cannot preempt the outcome. What we are doing now is that we are working hard to go into the election and win. As a matter of fact, we believe in hard work.

The state governor and President Muhammadu Buhari have done good job and we are expecting that we will go to the election and win. We have advantage over any other political party because we are hardworking,” he said.

The Socialist Party of Nigeria (SPN), though welcome the decision which it said was long overdue, it still expressed doubts.

SPN in a press statement titled, “Oyo LG Poll: OYSIEC decision to conduct LG Election on May 12, 2018 is undemocratic” and signed by its State Secretary, Comrade Abiodun Bamigboye, however said a committee of representatives of political parties was needed now to agree on the modalities for the conduct of the election.

Bamigboye said that the party was surprised that the commission unilaterally arrived at the decision without creating avenue for a prior decision over what should be the character of the election among all the existing political parties in the state.

He said, “The Socialist Party of Nigeria, SPN, Oyo State chapter welcomes the decision of both the Oyo State government and the Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission.

However, SPN decries the process that led to the decision to conduct the said election on the May 12, 2018 as it is highly undemocratic and capable of giving room for a criminal manipulation of the outcome of the election.”

Expressing its doubts over the sincerity of the state Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi and the electoral commission to conduct the election as scheduled, the PDP, while speaking with journalists in Ibadan through its Publicity Secretary, Mr Akeem Olatunji, however said he hoped that this latest date will not be a ruse as he berated APC for its alleged penchant for rigging.

Olatunji, however, said that there is no way the APC can win a local government in any of the 33 local government areas inspite of its rigging machinery, adding “Actually, we have not seen the copy of the time table, we hope by Monday we will have a copy.

Apart from that we are having problem with the sincerity of the governor regarding the conduct of the council poll, but we are ready.

“As at today, we are the biggest party in Oyo State and I don’t see how the APC will win any of the 33 local governments even with their rigging machinery.

They just announced that there will be election on May 12 and this is not the first time of such we don’t know maybe tomorrow the governor will change his mind. We cannot rely on what he said as at now, but we are prepared.”

Patrick Okohue