OSIEC presents certificate of return to LG Chairmen, Councillors in one-party election

BLESSING AKOROWOSI, Osogbo

Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSIEC), on Sunday issued certificate of return to the newly elected Local Government Chairmen and councillors.

This is coming after the LG poll held on Saturday involving only one party, All Progressives Congress (APC).

Announcing the outcome of the election at the OSIEC premises in Osogbo, the chairman, Otunba Segun Oladitan declared and returned unopposed 393 Councillors, 69 chairmen in 30 local government areas, 32  Local Council Development Areas and 7 Area Councils.

He said, “Having fulfilled the requirements of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), the Electoral Act 2022 and the Law of Osun State Independent Electoral Commission, 2022, are hereby declared and returned unopposed as Councillors in their respective Local Government Areas, Local Council Development Areas and Area Councils.

“It is apposite to state that as at the time of the close of nomination and deadline given for withdrawal and substitution of candidates, only one TECNOlitical Party i.e the All Progressives Congress (APC) obtained and submitted the nomination forms for screening on behalf of its aspirants in all the Local Government Areas, Local Council Development Areas (LCDA) and Area Councils in the State.

“Those candidates for Chairmanship, Vice Chairmanship and Councillorship positions were screened and the lists of cleared candidates were displayed in all the Local Government Areas, Local Council Development Areas (LCDA) and Area Councils in the State.

“The glaring implication of this is that we had only one validly nominated and cleared candidate for each of the Chairmanship, Vice Chairmanship and Councillorship positions for the elections of Saturday, 15″ October, 2022 in the State,” he said.

On the voter apathy recorded during the election, Oladitan blamed political parties for failing to sensitise and mobilise electorate to vote as well as the electorate who fail to participate.

He said that the electoral body should not be blamed for the low turnout of voters adding that it is not the responsibility of the electoral body to mobilise people to vote.

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