Fix date for bye-election in Akure South/North constituency — Ondo lawmaker urges INEC

By Akintunde Jacobs, Akure

Sunday Olajide, a lawmaker representing Akure Constituency 2 in the Ondo State House of Assembly, has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to fix date for the bye-election to fill the vacant Akure South/North federal constituency.

Recall that Femi Gbajabiamila, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, had declared the Akure South/North federal constituency seat vacant following the death of former occupier, Adedayo Omolafe who died earlier in the year.

But according to Olajide, the electoral umpire must set in motion, so that the process of filling the vacant seat of the people of the two local governments would not be shortchanged in the scheme of things at the National level.

Olajide, who spoke with journalists on Tuesday in Akure about his interest in vying for the vacant seat, said the Akure people would be marginalised if the seat is not filled within the shortest period of time by the INEC.

He said, “The major preoccupation of a legislative member is to participate in law making, in the process, does oversight functions and try to be the the eyes, the ears and the mind of his people in the national assembly.

“As of today, the Akure South/North Federal constituency, do not have representative and this will affect so many things.

“We don’t have anybody championing our course presently and come to think of it, it is at a time that the budget is going on and by the virtue of my own experience as a lawmaker and Chairman, Finance and Appropriations I know the importance of budget that it is a time where you plan and prepare for what will happen in the next fiscal year. That is to say, which project will go to which place will be determined now.

“Our representative at a time like this will be the one to champion our course to make sure that projects that will benefit people of Ondo State are injected into the budget but unfortunately, we don’t have such person now.

“We know the importance of budget, we know how it can be used to benefit the people and our presence at this point will be used to champion the course of our people. My advice to the electoral body is to make a pronouncement for a bye-election for the vacant seat of Akure South/North federal constituency for election to be conducted, so that we would not be cheated and short change in the process.”