Osun LG Poll: How APC Compromised Other Parties, Prevented Them From Nominating Candidates

 

Ali Ibrahim, Adedolapo Bamisedun

SIXTEEN political parties who had shown readiness in participating in the October 15 local government election in the State of Osun deliberately refused to nominate chairmanship and councillorship candidates for the poll, investigation has revealed. 

None of the 16 political parties fielded candidate for either chairman or councillor in the 69 local governments, Local Council Development Areas, Area Offices and the 332 wards across the state.

It would be recalled that the local government election was held for only APC chairmanship candidates, a development that necessitated the ‘Yes or No’ vote.

However, investigation by OSUN DEFENDER revealed that some of the political parties had a deal with top government officials who asked them not to nominate candidates for the election.

According to sources among the affected parties, the government officials promised to allocate five councillorship positions to each of the political parties if they did not field candidates.

But the deal, it was gathered, was struck out by the Chairman of the APC, Prince Gboyega Famodun, when he was informed. 

Famodun, according to the sources, argued that allowing councillors from other political parties in local government administration could be dangerous, saying they could be used against the council chairman and the APC. 

The APC chairman’s rejection came after the closure of nomination and substitution of candidates, it was learnt. 

However, Famodun reportedly agreed to allocating two Supervisory Councillors to each of the political parties to compensate them for agreeing not to nominate candidates for the election. 

OSUN DEFENDER gathered that the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) and Allied Peoples Movement (APM), were not part of the deal.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Action Peoples Party (APP) had dragged the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission to court over the poll.

Chairman of one of the political parties told OSUN DEFENDER that: “We were called by some political office holders in Governor Oyetola’s cabinet sometimes in August. We were told to corporate with the governor and support the local government election. 

“They promised  each of us (political parties) would be given five councillorship slot, and that we should not bother to nominate candidate for the election. We all agreed to that.

“About two weeks to the election, we were informed that the Chairman of the APC, Prince Famodun, has rejected the deal on the ground that he did not trust us – the opposition parties. The timeline for the nomination of candidate has closed then. 

“We were told that instead of the five councillorship slot, we will be given two Super (supervisory councillors) each after the inauguration of the chairmen. That is the stage we are.”

But the Chairman of Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) in the State, Mr Simeon Adebayo, said he was not aware of any deal with either the APC or the government. 

According to Adebayo, his party, Allied Peoples Movement (APM) could not nominate candidate for the local government election because of the ‘exorbitant fee’ for the nomination form. 

Adebayo noted that the APM and some other political parties agreed to participate in the election based on the promise by the OSIEC Chairman, Mr Segun Oladitan, that the poll would be free, fair and credible. 

He said: “I am not aware of any deal with the government or APC. What I know is that my party was unable to nominate candidate because of the huge amount to be paid for nomination form. I even spoke with the OSIEC Chairman to reduce the amount but he refused.

“I am hearing for the first time, that some political parties had deal with APC. I don’t know anything about that.”

When contacted, Mr. Kola Olabisi, the Spokesperson of the Osun APC Chairman, also denied any deal with the opposition parties as regard the local government election. 

Olabisi said the political parties should be asked why they did not nominate candidates for the election, saying that the report of compromise is just an insinuation that does not have effect. 

He said: “APC did not enter into any alliance with other parties. For what? It is just an insinuation without substance. I am hearing that for the first time.”