Ogun LG poll: Opposition party accuses OGSIEC of sideline, says electoral body working with APC

The New Nigeria People’s Party, has raised alarm over an alleged plan by the Ogun State Independent Electoral Commission to sideline other political parties in the state in its preparation for the forthcoming Local Government election in the state.

The NNPP also alleged that the electoral body is reportedly working with only the All Progressive Congress in the state.

As the Local Government election in Ogun State draw nearer, the NNPP Chairman, Olaposi Oginni in a statement made available to newsmen in Abeokuta stressed that the purported fake Time-Table showed that the Babatunde Osibodu-led OGSIEC is not competent to conduct a free and fair election in the state.

Oginni who pounced on OGSIEC as well as APC, declared that the Commission is working only with the ruling party so as to ensure its victory in the forthcoming election.

The NNPP Chairman expressed concern, noting that OGSIEC has allegedly started with a ‘fake’ Time-Table which he claimed has maligned the integrity of the commission.

Oginni said, “ it is worrisome that OGSIEC is starting on a false start. The false start means that they are unprepared for this job. And we want to quickly raise alarm that the Osibodu led OGSIEC cannot take Ogun State to anywhere democratically.

“They are yet to convince us that the said or purported fake timetable that came out few hours before the one they claim to be authentic did not emanate from them.

“If they claim that the false one with their letterhead and the signature of Osibodu as the Chairman was fake, then, we want to see the report that OGSIEC have reported firstly to Nigeria Police.

“Then, the officers of OGSIEC under Osibodu and his Committee must be investigated by the DSS, the Nigeria Police and the other relevant agencies on how they come about the purported fake or false timetable.

Oginni further pointed out sharply that the Osibodu-led OGSIEC is ‘uneducated’ about the electoral act of the the state, and as such are unreliable to yield good result.

He said, “it’s worrisome that within few hours, this so-called unprepared OGSIEC led by Osibodu came out with another version of the timetable. Without cognizance of the electoral act; the electoral act stipulated that notice for the election and the day of election must not be less than 90 days.

“If you look at the new timetable, the date , and the day of the notice for the election, and the day that the election will take place, if poll is set to be on July 24t, and this is below the stipulated 90 days which the constitution stated. So, what are we saying here. What we are trying to bring onboard is that, the Osibodu-led OGSIEC are unaware of what electoral act was all about. They did not know what the electoral act says concerning the election. So, how can we bring these people who are uneducated about the electoral process to lead OGSIEC and would be expecting any good result?”.

Furthermore, Oginni also accused that the commission meeting with the APC Chairman in Ogun State, and the Secretary displayed that the Commission is ‘partial’, since all stakeholders are supposed to be at the meeting.

“Now, the New Nigeria People’s Party strongly believe that before any timetable should have come out, a competent OGSIEC, and OGSIEC that boost of honour and know what they are doing should firstly call for stakeholders’ meeting.

“APC Chariman in Ogun State, and the APC Secretary in Ogun State, they are not the only stakeholders that OGSIEC should be relating with.

“From our own suggestion, we believe that perhaps, OGSIEC out of their incompetency, believe that the only political party that exist in Ogun State is APC.

However, Oginni stressed that APC and the Commission are doing such because they know that the courts are on strike.

He however urged all political group, religious bodies, traditional leaders and the media to ask the Dapo Abiodun-led government on issue sorriubding the forthcoming poll.

“They are bringing out this confusion and mess up in this timetable during the time they know that the courts are on strike. But we want to tell them that Nigerians courts cannot perpetually be on strike.

He added, “We want to warn the Governor of Ogun State that even the conventional courts are not in operation, the people’s courts are there. We are dragging governor Dapo Abiodun before the peoples’ courts’ supportive opinion.

“And we are also asking the good leaders of Ogun state across all political divides, religious divides, traditional leaders to prevail governor Dapo Abiodun to please remove this ‘nonchalant’ that he put in power to superintend and supervise local government election in the name of OGSIEC.

“Lastly, we are sounding this warning that failure of the Dapo Abiodun led government to see to the general request of other stakeholders to this local government election to be highly resisted within the armpit of the law. We know that we are in politics to make a change, and that politics change of having a new Ogun State begin with us”.

Meanwhile, the APC chairman in the state, Yemi Sanusi has denied having knowledge about the formulation of the election timetable.

Sanusi while reacting to the allegations raised by Oginni noted that APC has not been called to any stakeholders’ meeting.

The APC chairman explained that he also got the information online just like every other political party in the state.

He added, “I am an APC member, I don’t no whether he (Oginni) is involve or not.
He is the only one that can say whether he is involve or not .

“APC is not aware of any process for now, it has just been announced, so it is in the following week that we will know weather we are involve or not. But, for now we only heard about everything in newspapers like every other person.”