Local Government Election will take place in Oyo state on Saturday 27 April, 2024.
Both the ruling party, the PDP and the main opposition party, the APC have intensified their campaign to ensure that they come out victorious.
This election mean so much to the two political parties.
For Governor Seyi Makinde, he will not only want to deliver so as to retain the bragging right over the APC, he will most importantly want to maintain the status quo that enables him to combine running the affairs of the state and that of the Local Governments.
Governor Makinde have never shy away from the fact that he maintains a supervisory role over the Administration of the Local Governments and their finances.
In fact, he had admitted publicly that he supervises activities of the outgoing Council Chairmen.
One would be tempted to think that those who currently occupies the Councils are dummies.
From the activities in the thirty three Local Governments and the mode of Governor Makinde’s campaign, it is not out of place to conclude that Governor Seyi Makinde is the one on the ballot on Saturday while some thirty three pretenders are merely holding on for him as proxies, the ones Yorubas call “AJELES”.
For the APC on the other hand, the party have a lot at stake.
The various results of the last general election is indeed a mixed fortune.
The party have approached the next Saturday election with all seriousness and unity of purpose and I must say that the zeal exhibited by the party does send jitters down the spine of the Governor.
The APC have organized zonal and local Government rallies and and the turnout at all the events are massive.
Though Governor Makinde have kept bragging that his party, the PDP will sweep the polls.
The reality on ground does not favor such fantasies.
Local Governments are the nearest to the people.
It is the only tier of Government that is closer to the grassroots.
Unfortunately for Governor Makinde, he has chosen to deliberately kill this tier of Government.
So, everywhere he goes, pontificating about the projects he had done as state Governor does not connect.
Local Government Chairmen are Executive officials.
Supervising them for ulterior motives is not only illegal, it can never sit well with the people of the grassroots.
While Governor Makinde have been busy spreading a message that favours his continued impoverishment of the Local Governments, the APC on the other hand have been carrying messages of freedom and liberation.
A message that suggests Independence and strengthening of the Local Governments for better performance and that is why the public have been receptive of the messages.
Oyo state voters are not gullible.
They have seen how the Local Governments were run in the times of Kolapo Ishola, Lam Adesina, Rashidi Ladoja, Alao Akala and the late Abiola Ajimobi.
Those times, Local Governments were encouraged by state Governors to embark on solid projects like Road construction, Road rehabilitation, building of schools, hospitals and other physical infrastructures.
In those times, grading of roads were never considered worthy of mention when Local Government Chairmen were listing their achievements.
Reasonable approving limits were allowed for the Local Government Chairmen and the Excos to take care of projects within a degree of range.
It is the return of such beautiful times that the APC is promising the people of Oyo state and that is why the APC and not the PDP will sweep the Local Government Election in Oyo state.
That now brings me to OYSIEC.
There is no doubt that Local Government Elections are generally regarded as a sham which the party in Government always win.
This belief stems from the unscrupulous activities of the States Electoral Bodies.
In the case of Oyo state on Saturday, the stakes are high and It is the OYSIEC and Its leadership, most especially, the Chairman who are on trial, not Governor Makinde.
The OYSIEC Law, as lopsided as it may seem does not give Governor Makinde any power in the process of the Local Government Election.
The buck starts and stops at the table of the Chairman of the Commission.
Already, we have information regarding threats of disruptions of election and manufacturing of results by the PDP.
When such are reported and substantiated, it is the duty of the OYSIEC Chairman to make the right calls, not the Governor.
There is no way the Governor can manipulate election results if OYSIEC is not compromised.
The Commission have promised heaven and earth.
It shall be acceptable for the success or otherwise of the election.
The moment the Chairman and the Commissioners accepted the appointments, they equally accepted sensitive responsibilities.
We need the Commission to wake up to this sensitive responsibilities and Governor Makinde will wake up from his day dreaming.
SOLA ABEGUNDE.
