LG Election: APC, APM, others breach law over candidates’ nomination –OSSIEC Chairman

TUNDE ADELEKE, Osogbo

The Chairman of the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSSIEC), Barrister Hashim Abioye, has revealed that some political parties participating in the upcoming local government elections have violated the laws regarding the nomination and substitution of candidates.

Recall that the commission has earlier announced February 22, 2025 for the local government election.

Speaking at a press conference held at the NUJ Correspondents’ Chapel on Wednesday, Abioye highlighted that parties like the All Progressives Congress (APC), the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), and the Action Peoples Party (APP) were among those that committed significant breaches.

Abioye explained that these parties issued nomination forms to candidates whose names were not included in the original list submitted to the Commission, stressing that while some infractions are remediable, others are not.

He said, “the provision is not an innovation, it is as also contained in the Electoral Act, 2022, that is the provision we have now adopted. For this reason, some political parties, notably the All Progressives Congress (APC), the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), the Action Peoples Party (APP) ran foul of the provisions and procedure regarding substitution of candidates.

“While no substitution can be validly done without following the rules, any substitution or change of candidate done after the purported candidate intended to be a replacement for another must have been given and submitted nomination form despite his/her name not being on the list originally submitted to the Commission would be void.

“Let me note once again that virtually all the political parties contesting the elections had one case or another of the infractions which are remediable, but the political parties highlighted above committed the most of the infractions that are incurable by giving nomination form for candidates whose names were not on the list in some local government areas and wards. This we cannot help

“Being a major political party, I will take that of the APC as an example. In Atakumosa West Local Government, the Chairmanship and Vice-chairmanship candidates submitted by the party to the Commission were not the persons who filled nomination forms submitted to OSSIEC.

“In the same vein, the respective vice-chairmanship candidates submitted by the APC for Ede South, Egbedore, Ife Central, Ifedayo, Isokan, Olorunda and Oriade Local Government Areas were completely different from the persons that filled and submitted nomination forms to the Commission. Candidates of the APC in several Wards across various local government areas were affected by this incurable anomaly,” he added.

He further gave the affected political parties 48 hours to rectify the discrepancies or bear the consequences.

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