The All Progressives Congress (APC) has accused the Chairman of the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSIEC), Hashim Abioye, of obstructing attempts to address nomination infractions involving its candidates ahead of the 48-hour deadline given by the electoral body.

OSIEC had on Wednesday issued a 48-hour ultimatum to the APC, Allied Peoples Movement (APM), and Action Peoples Party (APP) to correct nomination infractions in nine councils for the positions of chairman and vice-chairman in the upcoming local government elections.

In response, APC State Chairman, Tajudeen Lawal, in a statement yesterday night, criticised Abioye for allegedly denying the APC a fair opportunity in the local government election scheduled for February 22, 2025.

Lawal stated that the APC had made arrangements to comply with OSIEC’s directives, but claimed the commission unexpectedly closed early on September 19, preventing the party from submitting the necessary documents.

Lawal further alleged that some of the irregularities identified by OSIEC were due to administrative errors within the commission itself, accusing the commission of rushing to the media without conducting proper checks.

He also expressed concerns over the lack of a public relations officer at OSIEC, leaving political parties with no clear point of contact for addressing issues.

He said, “OSSIEC does not even have a public relations officer with whom any political party can relay its worries and complaints in case of any administrative errors, while the chairman does virtually all the administrative jobs.”