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Amosun Yet To Decide On Date For Council Election

By Editor
20 February 2016   |   11:25 pm
. April Date Is Not Feasible-OGSIEC . Amosun Is Not Ready To Conduct Any Election-PDP CONFLICTING signals are beginning to threaten the likelihood of the much-awaited Local Government election in Ogun State taking place. Since the tenure of the last elected council officials, whose election held on July 21, 2012, expired on July 23, 2015,…
AMOSUN-OK

Amosun, Governor of Ogun state

. April Date Is Not Feasible-OGSIEC
. Amosun Is Not Ready To Conduct Any Election-PDP

CONFLICTING signals are beginning to threaten the likelihood of the much-awaited Local Government election in Ogun State taking place.

Since the tenure of the last elected council officials, whose election held on July 21, 2012, expired on July 23, 2015, caretaker committees have held sway in the 20 council areas till date.

Since their exit, Governor, Ibikunle Amosun, seem not to have deemed it fit to put machinery in place to conduct the poll, instead he seems more interested in creating additional council areas, until recently when it was reported that the poll might be conducted in April.

Though it was first rumour, it was confirmed by former council chairmen, under the umbrella of Association of Ex-Local Government Chairmen of Nigeria (ASELGON) when they paid courtesy visit to the governor recently.

ASELGON chairman, Albert Asipa, was quoted as saying that “the decision of the state government to conduct council elections by April was laudable and should be supported by all well-meaning people.”

As a result, political parties in the state and aspirants, as at then, have begun to strategise and mobilise their members in readiness for the election.

However, the electoral umpire, the Ogun State Independent Electoral Commission (OGSIEC), has announced that April timeline is not feasible. According to a source, who confided in The Guardian, the governor has not informed the electoral body about the planned poll.

“Officially, the governor has not told us anything. No matter how independent we think we are, we still need to receive order from the governor. We would let you know when we are ready, we are not ready at all, there is nothing we can do for now.”

His claim was also supported by an aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Yemi Ogundina, who noted that there is no guideline or any news yet from the party on the proposed poll.

Though he claimed the news has spread on the April or May date, Ogundina noted that until OGSIEC releases its timetable and guidelines, everything remains a rumour.

When the main opposition party in the state, the PDP, was contacted, the party claimed that Amosun is not ready to conduct any election. “If government is ready, adequate notice would have been given to political parties, according to the rules, about three months should be given ahead of elections. So, they are not prepared for any election.”

The State PDP Secretary, Semiu Sodipo, who spoke to The Guardian, said his party has been shouting on the governor’s silence, noting “we are waiting for him to announce his next move before we would know what to say.”

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