Ruth Semilore
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Sixteen (16) political parties in Osun State have announced their intention not to participate in the forthcoming Local Government elections in the state.
Political parties involved are; Action Alliance, African Democratic Congress, Accord Party, Social Democratic Party, African Action Congress, New Nigeria Peoples Party, Allied Peoples Party and the Peoples Redemption Party
Others are; All Progressives Grand Alliance, Zenith Labour Party, Action Democratic Party, Action Peoples Party, Labour Party, Boot Party, National Rescue Movement and Young Peoples Party.
The parties while addressing newsmen on Monday in Osogbo, alleged that the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSIEC), is planning to use members of the Peoples Democratic Party as electoral officers during the election.
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They also accused the chairman of OSIEC, Barr Hashim Abioye of being a stooge of the state governor, adding that they have not been carried along in matters concerning the LG elections.
Addressing newsmen on behalf of the political parties, the chairman, Inter-Party Advisory Committee, IPAC, Osun State, Pastor Victor Akande, said a letter of intention earlier written to OSIEC by the New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP, for the party’s primary had been withdrawn.
Akande said,
“When Governor Ademola Adeleke submitted the same of a card-carrying member of his party, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Barrister Hassim Abioye, to the rubber-stamped House of Assembly for confirmation as the Chairman, Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSIEC) on November 2023, we vehemently kicked against it.
“Our position then, as Osun chapter of IPAC, was that Abioye is not legally fit to conduct free, fair and credible local government election in Osun. We opposed the brazen imposition of Abioye as INEC umpire as he was Adeleke’s Senior Special Assistant on Legal Matters then.
“Earlier this year, Abioye invited us to the headquarters of OSIEC in Osogbo where we made known our reservations for the February 22, 2025 council election and he thereafter pledged his allegiance to protect his integrity and promised not to disappoint us.
“But Alas, the leopard in him that cannot change its spots roared as we watched him deviating from all his promises of conducting a reliable election in the state. We have reliably gathered that Abioye has perfected plans to use PDP members as Electoral Officers during the election which we all know what it means.
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“His intention is to trap us into conducting our parties’ primary elections without disclosing the amount each party will pay which will, of course, lead to efforts in futility after announcing exorbitant fee.
“We expected up-to-date information from Abioye has been done by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) but reverse is the case as we always have information about Osun local government election from PDP e-rats.
“One of us, NNPP, that earlier written intention letter for his party’s primary election has withdrew the letter because we realized no good thing can come out of Abioye, who is Governor Adeleke’s stooge’s, OSIEC
“It is on these notes that we resolved, after deliberations with our party members, to BACK OUT of the forthcoming local government election in Osun state.”
When contacted the chairman of OSIEC, Barr Hashim Abioye, said the allegation that the commission is planning to use PDP members as electoral officers is not true.
Abioye said the commission is yet to release the names of the electoral officers, adding that card-carrying members of political parties would not be considered for the role.
He said all the political parties were carried along, adding that the parties cannot nominate those who will be the electoral officers for the commission.
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He said,
“It is unfortunate that they alleged that OSIEC is planning to use PDP members as electoral officers but that is far from the truth. We are yet to release any names and we will not recruit any card-carrying member of a political party for the role.
“I met with political parties some months back and the commission has been carrying them along but what we will not do is for the parties to nominate electoral officers for us.”
