ALGON kicks against planned May 15 council polls in Oyo

The sacked 68 Chairmen of Local Councils and Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) of Oyo State, yesterday, chided the State’s Independent Electoral Commission (OYSIEC) and Governor Seyi Makinde over the planned council poll scheduled to hold on May 15, 2021.

The sacked chairmen, under the aegis of Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), Oyo State Chapter, described the planned council election as a fraud.

Oyo State Chairman of ALGON, Ayodeji Abass-Aleshinloye, who spoke with journalists in Ibadan, said fixing the poll when judgment is being expected was illegal, presumptuous, wasteful and unnecessary.

He said: “While all parties to the suit are expected to await the judgment of the Supreme Court, it is surprising to see OYSIEC, a party to the suit, and well represented at the Supreme Court, prompted by Governor Seyi Makinde, go ahead to publish a timetable for the local council election, which it intends to conduct on May 15, 2021, eight days after the expected judgment on May 7.

“We need to expose this government. This is a very simple case. I have never seen a government that has no respect for the rule of law. This is a case in court. The government and OYSIEC were well represented. It is only common sense for them to hold on till judgment is served.

“For us, it is legality over illegality. Even governors were sacked and they left. How much more illegal caretaker chairmen? It is in their own interest.

“Nobody is participating in any illegality. We can never participate in the election. APC will never be part of illegality.”

Abass-Aleshinloye, who urged OYSIEC to cancel the whole process, implored all political parties not to be part of the process, saying: “We advise political parties and candidates not to invest in OYSIEC electoral market process, which may lead to nowhere if ALGON wins at the Supreme Court on May 7, 2021. Don’t be scammed. After May 7 judgment, the political climate will be clear to all and sundry and nobody will be scammed.

“On this point, We call on OYSIEC to stop the process of its scammed election; it is illegal, presumptuous, wasteful and unnecessary.”