OSIEC Yet To Submit Budget On Osun LG Election

• Nothing Wrong Considering Caretaker Option – SDP
• We’re Ready For Election Anytime, Caretaker Illegal – PDP

By Ismaeel Uthman

The Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSIEC) is yet to submit budget for the conduct of Local Government election in the state, investigations have revealed.

This is contrary to insinuations making the rounds on social media that the commission had submitted N3billion budget to Governor Adegboyega Oyetola.

OSUN DEFENDER gathered that a total of 16 political parties, including the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Social Democratic Party (SDP), have registered with OSIEC to participate in the election.

The tenure of the current chairmen and councillors of the various local government councils in the state, who were elected through the Parliamentary System of government, would come to an end in February 2021.

Speaking with OSUN DEFENDER in an exclusive interview, the OSIEC Chairman, Otunba Segun Oladitan, confirmed that the commission was yet to submit its budget for the election, saying that the electoral body was still working on it as at the time of filing this report.

According to Oladitan, OSIEC had not also issued any notice on when the election will be conducted, describing the people who were misinforming members of the public on the budget and conduct of the election as mischievous.

The OSIEC Chairman said: “We have not submitted any budget to the state government and we are yet to issue any notice on when the election will be conducted.

“The tenures of the current local government chairmen and councillors will expire in February. We still have a long time between now and February, which is more than the stipulated 90 days. The last time we had this election was in January 2017 and the chairmen and councilors were sworn-in in February

“I see it that some people are being mischievous. We are still working on the budget and I wonder where the people got the amount they said we submitted. We will make it known to the public when it is ready.”

Nothing Wrong Considering Caretaker Option – SDP

The Social Democratic Party (SDP) has said that there is nothing wrong for Governor Adegboyega Oyetola to consider appointing caretaker management for all the councils across the state, if the state does not have the financial strength to fund local government election.

Mr. Sola Oladeinde, Chairman of the SDP in the state, said the party, which is in coalition with the All Progressives Congress (APC), would support the government in setting its priority right as regards the availability of funds for the election and other state commitments.

“As a party, I will advise the government to go ahead with the election if there is fund.  But, if there is no fund as it is being speculated on social media, there is nothing wrong in having caretaker in place for six months to prepare for the real election.

“I will advise the government to go ahead with the caretaker option but the SDP should be taken care of, so that we will work together and achieve the goals. However, I will not want the issue of the caretaker to be too long because we are in a democratic setting. Caretaker is an alternative because if there is no fund, it will be very difficult to hold any election.

We’re Ready For Election Anytime, Caretaker Illegal – PDP

But the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state has rejected the option of caretaker management committees in the local government, describing it as illegal.

The PDP called on OSIEC to expedite action on the conduct of local government election, saying that the party was ready to participate in the poll anytime the electoral commission is ready.

Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr. Sunday Bisi, in a telephone interview with OSUN DEFENDER yesterday, said OSIEC had not shown readiness to conduct the election.

Bisi said: “PDP was the second party to register with OSIEC, indicating our interest to participate in the upcoming local government election in the state. We have written so many letters to OSIEC, demanding for the guidelines regarding the election.

“Up till now, the electoral body has not replied us. What it said is that at the appropriate time, it will let us know. We are yet to get a copy of the guidelines for the election.

“I want to assure you that anytime they are ready to conduct the local government election, PDP as a political party is ready to participate in it.

“If the governor wants to set up caretaker committees; that is illegal. The constitution is very clear on this. You have to conduct local government election where every party will participate to ensure that the people have elected representatives at the local government level.

“Setting up a caretaker committee will not reflect the wishes and aspiration of the people. When the time comes, if eventually or peradventure the caretaker committees are set up, as a party, we will react to it.

We’re Waiting For OSIEC, Says APC

Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, Prince Gboyega Famodun said the party shall respond positively to the conduct of the local government elections when OSIEC is ready to conduct it.

Famodun, who spoke through his media consultant, Mr, Kola Olabisi, said: “As a political party that believes in orderliness and the Rule of Law, we shall give due consideration to any directive from the umpire about the conduct of the election within the limit of the statutory provisions of the law guiding the exercise.

“As to the enquiry on if our party will embrace caretaker management committees across the councils, such question is hypothetical. When we get to the bridge, we shall devise a worthy means of crossing it.”