In this world, there are some people whose said can not and must not be taken seriously.
It is one thing to say something. It is another kettle of fish to be able to follow through and work the talk.
Aare Isiaka Olaguju (SAN) is the chairman of the Oyo state Independent Electoral Commission (OYSIEC).
He was in charge of the Commission and actually supervised the 2021 Local Government Election.
The 2021 Local Government Election was mostly uncontested save for Ibarapa East and Ido Local Governments where the Labour Party and the Zenith Labor Party presented stiff challenges to the PDP.
Therefore, it will not be out of order to rate Aare Isiaka Olaguju and the OYSIEC based on how the election of 2021 was managed in both of Ido and Ibarapa East Local Governments.
I am sure even Aare Olagunju will shudder any time he remembers what happened in both of this Local Governments.
The Election in both Local Governments was heavily taken over by armed thugs, led by the former Chairman of the Parks Management System, Mukaila “Auxillary”.
In the case of Ibarapa East, four innocent lives were lost and yet, from that field of blood, the OYSIEC, led by Olagunju went ahead and announced results of the chairmanship and nine out of ten councillorships, all in favor of the PDP.
With due respect to the learned SAN, Aare Olagunju is a dissimulative actor.
Just like now, he promised heaven and earth before the 2021 Local Government Election.
Those who took the risk as opposition political parties were sold on his promises and antecedents.
Unfortunately, even though, much was promised by the OYSIEC chairman, when it was time to act, the said and the done were in the opposite directions.
I have listened to the OYSIEC chairman severally, making promises of a free, fair and transparent election in 2024.
I have warned opposition political parties to beware of the promises by Olagunju.
From past experiences, his said and done are at variance.
I read a report yesterday that point to the fact that Aare Olagunju is trying to renege from an earlier promise of deploying the BVAS manchines as means of accreditation during the 2024 Local Government Election.
I am not surprised at all.
That is typical of the OYSIEC chairman.
There is no degree he will not fall to do the bidding of the Governor who put him in the position he presently occupies.
I won’t be surprised if in the next few days, he comes out to cook some excuses and draw attention to the SIEC Law which does not mandate the Commission to deploy BVAS.
Olagunju have a way of sweet talking the opposition into participating in an election where he would eventually change the goal posts in the middle of the game.
Personally, I think it might be too late for the opposition political parties to withdraw participation.
If such happens, Olagunju will paint a picture that will portray the opposition political parties as chickening out due to the fear of imminent failures and Governor Makinde and his heavily compromised press will take it up from there and make mince meats of the opposition political parties.
It is almost impossible to rig an election without a compromised security.
I think, rather than opting out at this late stage, the opposition political parties should work on the security situation around the election.
Fortunately, a court judgement have barred the Amotekun Corp from participating in an election.
The other item the opposition must work on is vigilance.
Though, the OYSIEC Law may not envisage the use of the BVAS and the Law actually do not empower INEC to give to OYSIEC more than It actually requested, the Law did not stop political parties from having knowledge of the mode of ballot papers, inquire about whether ballot papers are serialized, demand for proposed voter register released by INEC and the ones OYSIEC displays.
Fortunately, at the last transparent ballot boxes were used and there is no basis for changing it.
The OYSIEC Law does not empower the OYSIEC powers to announce the winners of the chairmanship results.
What the Law says in section 39 of schedule 2 of the OYSIEC Law is that the ” the Resident Electoral Commissioner or the Electoral Officer as the case may be, shall cause to be posted a at the state or or Local Government area office of the Electoral Commission as the case may be a notice showing – (a) the candidates at the election and their score, and
(b) the person declared as elected or returned at the elections.
This provision does not envisage a situation where the results of the Chairmanship will be bundled to OYSIEC headquarters in Ibadan for announcement and the opposition political parties must clarify this and if necessary, seek judicial interpretations before the election.
As I have said repeatedly, the OYSIEC chairman will always be who he is. A man who will do the bidding of those who put him in position.
It is imperative for the opposition political parties to devise strategies to beat both Olagunju, OYSIEC and their masters to their game.
SOLA ABEGUNDE.
