Osun electoral Commision to conduct LG election October 15

By Christiana Ekpa

The Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSSIEC) has scheduled the Local Government elections in the state for October 15, 2022.

The Chairman of the Commission, Segun Oladitan, disclosed this on Monday during a press conference at the OSSIEC office in Osogbo, the state capital.

Oladitan said he was aware of the suit challenging the conduct of the polls before the exit of the incumbent Governor Gboyega Oyetola in November but noted that any individual or party who is displeased should allow the court to do its duties.

He said the mode of the election would be presidential where there would be elections for the office of the chairman and that of the secretary separately, unlike what was obtainable in the parliamentary system which was hitherto in operation in the state.

Explaining why the election was not conducted since the Commission was created in 2020, Oladitan blamed “court litigations, COVID-19 pandemic, End-SARS saga and necessary enabling Law.”

Oladitan said the Commission had been making necessary contacts with relevant stakeholders and carrying out in-house preparations for the conduct of local government elections.

“The State House of Assembly had recently enacted Osun State Independent Electoral Commission Law 2022 which had been duly assented to by the Governor. To date, all the inhibiting factors and circumstances have been ameliorated, thereby making the coast very clear for the Commission to conduct Local Government Elections. All previous laws on Local Government Elections in the State had been repealed.

“In accordance with the Oath which we Members of the Commission took we shall ensure that the elections are free, fair, transparent and credible. We, therefore, seek for the support of you the Fourth Estate of the realm is giving balanced, fair and impartial reportage of our activities before, during and after the elections,” he added.