The Chairman of the Oyo state Independent Electoral Commission, OYSIEC, Aare Isiaka Olaguju have been going from one Media platform to the other, promising free, fair and transparent Local Government Election on 27th of this month.
He has equally met with different stakeholder, assuring them of the Electoral Bodies’ readiness to ascert Its Independence and deliver a credible election.
He took similar steps in 2021.
Whether the Senior Advocate of Nigeria will deliver on the promises this time around is another kettle of fish.
On the other hand, the Governor of Oyo state, Seyi Makinde was in Ido Local Government on Monday and the statements he made were contrary to the promises of the OYSIEC Chairman.
Governor Makinde not only boasted of winning the Chairmanship election 33-0, he equally boasted that his party the PDP will win all the 351 Councillorship seats.
You might say there is nothing wrong with that statement since it is an election and there is no Law that forbids the PDP from winning all the Chairmanship and Councillorship seats.
However, the Governor didn’t stop there.
He went a step further to say that when APC was in Government, they did not allow the opposition to win any seat.
Unfortunately for the Governor, records don’t lie.
Maybe Governor Makinde have forgotten that when the APC was in Government, he and his party, the PDP decided to chicken out by boycotting the Local Government Election as a matter of choice.
I wonder why he is now trying to pull a wool on the eyes of the public to cover the PDP’s ineptitudes and indescretion.
Governor Makinde also went further to declare that the opposition should wait for another six years before having any hope of being in the Council because, according to him, he would still be the Governor at the expiration of the three years tenure of the Local Government Chairmen that are yet to be expected.
What does this infer?
The only reasonable inference any right thinking human being will draw from the above is that the Local Government Election will be a charade which will be determined according to the wish of the Governor.
The statement is a violent affront on the integrity of OYSIEC and Its leadership.
Governor Makinde’s chest beatings did not stem from neither his own performance nor that of the Council Chairmen.
From his statements, it was clear that the Governor spoke out of his cocksuredness of someone who has total control of the whole election process, OYSIEC, security and perhaps thugs.
I started by enumerating the activities of OYSIEC and the fact that similar steps were taken in 2021.
Despite those seemingly laudable steps, Governor Makinde still had his way in Ido and Ibarapa East where stiff oppositions to the PDP existed.
Lives were lost in Ibarapa East in the process of rigging the election.
The then Oyo state Commissioner of police, Mrs. Ngozi had to rush down to Eruwa.
Ibarapa East became a killing field where four precious lives were lost.
Yet, in spite of the unfortunate incident that prevented the election from going ahead, the OYSIEC went ahead and announced the PDP candidates as winners of the Chairmanship and the Councillorship election, save for ward 5 where three of the four people were killed.
Sadly enough, OYSIEC defended the blood soaked announcement at the Tribunal!
I must however say that the ball game will be different this time around.
The opposition now is the APC.
Governor Makinde have stated his intentions in clear terms but those are mere wishful thinking and day dreaming.
We will continue to monitor and hold relevant stakeholders responsible at every steps of the way.
Citizens of the state should disregard Governor Makinde’s rants and illogical reasoning.
They should not only troop out to vote candidates of their choice, they must be ready to defend their votes by all legitimate means.
Local Government Election is guided by the OYSIEC Law and the statutes are clear on the functions of all stakeholders.
Election results must be counted, recorded and announced at the polling units and copies handed over to relevant party Agents.
Collation of results must take place at designated wards and local Government collation centres.
Results of both Councillorships and Chairmanship election must be announced at designated collation centres.
Anything different from the above must be rejected.
The opposition should set up situation rooms to monitor and collate election results as they are released.
Thank God for social Media. The whole world is now a global village.
The OYSIEC at this point must distant Itself from Governor Makinde’s inflammatory statements.
The Commission is supposed to be Independent.
That independence must be ascerted now.
A repeat of the charade that took place in 2021 must and will be resisted.
Oyo state citizens must cage Governor Makinde on 27th April before he cages the Local Governments for another three years.
SOLA ABEGUNDE.
