The Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has faulted Mr Hashim Akintunde Abioye, the controversial chairman of the state Independent Electoral Commission (OSSIEC), over his disclosure for the arrangements preparatory towards the conduct of local government council elections in the state next year.
The OSSIEC chairman who addressed a press conference in Osogbo, the state capital today, explained that his commission has kick-started the process of elections into the 30 local government council areas, the Area Council, the 32 Local Council Development Authorities and the six Area Development Authorities across the state on February 22, 2025.
Abioye also used the occasion to announce the unveiling of the Osun State Local Government Electoral and Democratic Institute(OSLEDI) which would be a certificate-awarding institute that would be responsible for organising seminars, training, orientation and certification mandatorily for elected local government officials and other critical stakeholders who are involved in local government democracy and who are interested in further learning.
According to the Osun State chairman of the APC, Sooko Tajudeen Lawal, in a statement issued by the party’s Director of Media and Information, Chief Kola Olabisi, the controversial OSSIEC chairman was being economical with the truth on the mission of his commission.
Lawal who stated that the first blunder made by Abioye was his dubious incorporation of ‘Insha Allah’ into a supposed official means of communication.
The state APC chairman explained further that he had expected the OSSIEC chairman to delve into his eligibility issue during the press conference which has put a big question mark on what might be the outcome of the expected statutory functions of the commission under his watch.
Lawal noted that one does not need to be a soothsayer to observe and conclude that the primary mission of the Abioye-led OSSIEC which is dubiously orchestrated by his employer is in the spirit of job for the boys as there is no justifiable reason for the current questionable OSSIEC to rush into an election which is dead on arrival.
In the Osun State APC chairman’s words: ”Why the rush for the conduct of a local government council election when the eligibility of the head of the electoral umpire is a subject of litigation in the Federal High Court, Osogbo? Also, even the litigation over the illegal sacking of the LG chairmen by Governor Adeleke is still in court.
“Why the ill-motive connivance to organise the elections which Hashim and his principal know deep down within them that it is destined to fail if not their consideration for monetary gain as there is no way such elections are held without billions of naira going into the drain?
“We are not surprised as a party that Abioye is coming up with an idea of elections by this time that he still needs to defend his eligibility in the court of law as anyone divinely gifted with an attribute of hindsight will not blink an eye before he comes to the conclusion that the mission of the Abioye-led OSSIEC is to loot the commission.
“It is now clear that one of the motivations of Governor Adeleke in encouraging the locking up of the courts in the state is to engage in illegalities without allowing for an opportunity to give room for a redress in the court of law.
“We, as a party, don’t have an iota of confidence in the leadership and composition of the Abioye-led OSSIEC and we are convinced beyond reasonable doubt that nothing good can come out of the commission that is designed to fail,” Lawal stated.
On the readiness of the OSSIEC under Abioye to establish Osun State Local Government Electoral and Democratic Institute, the state APC chairman, explained that there is no justifiable or convincing reason for the commission to embark on such a venture now as it cannot be categorised as a priority.