The chairman of the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission, Hashim Abioye, has urged Nigerians, especially those within the voting age, to shun antics of some politicians who make them lose interest in participating actively in electioneering process.
According to Abioye, some politicians who feel disgruntled for no just cause, have the habit of moving around days to elections to discourage people from voting.
The election management boss, a lawyer, asked voters in Osun not to boycott the February 22, 2025 local government election that will be conducted in the 30 constitutionally recognised council areas in the state.
Abioye while fielding questions at The Frontliners programme organised by the League of Veteran Journalists in Osogbo on Wednesday, explained that political parties who pull out of electioneering process unjustifiably make it easy for ruling political party to win majority of council areas.
Describing election boycott and negative crusade against conduct of elections as disservice to societal development, Abioye condemned actions of displeased politicians who move around and asking people not to come out to vote.
Shedding more light on what leads to ruling party winning majority of elections during LGA polls, Abioye blamed political parties who pull out of the exercise without tenable reasons.
He said, “The interest of the public is paramount to us. Since we came on board, we have monitored local government elections in some states, what we usually see most of the time is that some political parties going out, instead of campaigning, asking people not to vote.
“They tell people, ‘Don’t bother yourself, they have already written the results.’ At the end of the day, you will see those players pulling out unjustifiably. You can’t blame the umpire for awarding a walk-over verdict. Walk-over verdict is part of the game. It is like you have sued someone and the person fails to show up. The court won’t wait for that person. That is the bane. Let us be alive to our responsibility. People should tell anyone asking them not to vote that they are enemies of the society. How can you abandon things that have to affect your life and developmental process?”
Meanwhile, the OSSIEC boss Abioye has debunked insinuation that the Commission disqualified candidates on account of nomination, adding that it did not screen any candidate based on tax remittances.
He disclosed that OSSIEC will conduct election into the 30 constitutionally recognised local governments in the state.
“We did not disqualify any candidate on account of nomination form and tax remittances. We only disqualified names in the list which OSSIEC noticed did not partake in the party primaries,” Abioye added.
While explaining that litigation is part of the electoral process anywhere in the world, Abioye revealed that OSSIEC has recorded the highest number of litigations under him.
He added that there is no election law that did not have provision for litigation.
“Litigation is part of the electoral process and there is no election anywhere where litigation is not encountered.
“In OSSIEC history, we have the highest number of litigation. It is only those in the media that the public is ware of. The radar has cleared us legally and constitutionally to conduct the LG election. We have been building on the legitimacy of the constitution.
“We would have encountered problem had it been we got it wrong at the point of notice,” he said.
The OSSIEC chairman while highlighting steps the Commission has taken to ensure the conduct of the local government election, said trainings, seminars and retreats have been organised for the staff to ensure credibility of the process.
The chairman of the occasion, Emmanuel Agboola, a retired director of the Independent National Electoral Commission, stated that election is a process.
He appreciated the Inter Party Advisory Council, Osun chapter, for the job they are doing to support OSSIEC.
The IPAC members at the programme said that all the 18 political parties in the state would be participating in the forthcoming council elections.
The acting Chairman, Osun State League of Veteran Journalists, Adeyeye Oyedokun, on his remarks, said the media is so crucial at this stage to democratic governance and to sustenance of democracy and will continue to give account of daily occurrence.
He also lamented that enemies of democracy were already predicting the outcome of the Osun local government election.
