Osun LG Poll: APC, APM, others risk disqualification over guidelines breach

By Ismail Azeez, Osogbo

The Independent Electoral Commission (OSSIEC) in Osun State announced on Wednesday that three parties—All Progressives Congress (APC), Allied Peoples Movement (APM), and Action Peoples Party (APP)—have violated electoral guidelines regarding candidate substitutions.

The commission has set February 22, 2025, for the upcoming local government elections in the state.

During a press conference in Osogbo, Chairman Hashim Akintunde Abioye revealed that the Verification Committee identified discrepancies in candidate nominations, particularly in Atakumosa West Local Government, where the chairmanship and vice-chairmanship candidates did not match those who filled out the nomination forms.

Abioye noted that similar anomalies were found in the local government areas of Ede South, Egbedore, Ife Central, Ifedayo, Isokan, Olorunda, and Oriade.

“As a major political party, I will highlight the case of the APC. In Atakumosa West, the chairmanship and vice-chairmanship candidates submitted by the party to the Commission were not the individuals who filled out the nomination forms.

“The same issue was observed with the vice-chairmanship candidates submitted for Ede South, Egbedore, Ife Central, Ifedayo, Isokan, Olorunda, and Oriade, which differed completely from the originally submitted forms,” he stated.

Abioye emphasised that any substitution must adhere to the rules outlined in the Electoral Act 2022 and the 2025 OSSIEC election manual.

“No valid substitution can occur without following proper procedures. Any changes made after a candidate’s nomination must include submission of a new form, otherwise, it will be considered void.”

He also provided a 48-hour window for the affected parties to rectify any remediable issues, warning that incurable breaches could lead to disqualification.