Postpone LG election to accommodate us – APC chairman tells Makinde, OYSIEC

Caretaker Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State, Chief Akin Oke, has urged the Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission (OYSIEC) to, with immediate effect, postpone the forthcoming local government election in the state.

Oke, who spoke while addressing journalists on Saturday, noted that the need to postpone the election is necessary in order to accommodate the APC in the election.

He spoke at a press conference held in Ibadan, the state capital organized by the sacked local government chairmen.

DAILY POST recalls that OYSIEC had fixed Saturday, May 22nd 2021 as the date for the conduct of local government election in the thirty-three (33) local government areas of the state.

Our correspondent learnt that the Supreme Court had yesterday declared the removal of the Local government chairmen as null and void. The Court also awarded the sum of twenty million naira (N20m) against the Oyo State Government.

The Court also urged Makinde to pay all the entitlements including salaries and allowances to all the sacked council bosses between now and August 2021.

Oke while speaking at the press conference, said the postponement was to allow the APC participate in the election.

He said, “We could not be part of the preparation for that election at the initial stage because we felt the dissolution of democratically elected chairmen and councillors was illegal.

“Now that we have been vindicated, it is thus right for the government to give a level playing field in order for us to test our popularity.

“We are not afraid of the local government election, it is high time the OYSIEC postpone the election to accommodate us.”

ALGON Chairman, Prince Ayodeji Abass-Aleshinloye described the action of the Governor to dissolve the elected council officials as executive rascality.

He said that the former council bosses dedicated the victory to the immediate past Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi.

“It is a display of executive rascality. We dedicate this victory to our boss, late Abiola Ajimobi who urged us not to fight them but to follow the rule of the law.

“It is all about the rule of law. It is about democracy to thrive in the grassroots. Makinde does not have any respect for the rule of law.

“He was the driving force who advised that we should not cause problems in the State, but to follow the rule of law by going to Court.

“We want to thank the former Governor, Abiola Ajimobi. We thank all our leaders, we thank the gentlemen of the press.”