The Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission (OYSIEC) has presented Certificates of Return to the 32 newly elected chairmen of the local government council areas in the state.

The presentation was held on Monday at the OYSIEC headquarters in Ibadan.

32 chairmen were elected during the local government election held on Saturday, May 22, across the state.

Mr Isiaka Olagunju (SAN), the OYSIEC Chairman, charged the new chairmen not to disappoint the people who elected them to oversee the affairs of their respective local government council areas.

He charged them to be dutiful and also ensure they fulfilled the promises made during their electioneering.

“They campaigned vigorously in every nook and cranny of their local government areas, and have now emerged chairmen. They should see themselves as the servants of the people.

“I told them that now that they had been elected, they should not make themselves inaccessible to the people who voted them.

“They must try as much as possible to remember their promises and fulfill them, “he said.

The Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission (OYSIEC) has shifted the local government election in Ido Local Government Area to May 29.

Mr Isiaka Olagunju (SAN), the OYSIEC Chairman, disclosed this on Sunday in Ibadan.

The OYSIEC had on Saturday suspended election in the council area due to the omission of Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) logo in the ballot paper.

The commission had after its meeting on Saturday announced Sunday, May 23, for the election.

Olagunju said the commission had picked Sunday for the election, having been assured by the contractor that newly printed ballot papers would be ready for Sunday.

He, however, said the ballot papers were just delivered Sunday morning few minutes to the ongoing declaration of results from the remaining 32 councils areas where election held.

“As you all know that we suspended local government election in Ido Local Government due to the omission of the ZLP from the ballot.

“We later fixed Sunday for the election having been assured by the contractor that the ballot will be ready.

“I want to inform you that we just received the ballot papers this morning.

“Having considered the inconveniences this might cost our staff and the process, we have agreed to shift the election to May 29,” Olagunju said.

He accepted responsibility for the inconveniences caused by the omission of the ZLP in the ballot paper.

Olagunju also restated the commission’s commitment to free, fair and credible elections.

The Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission (OYSIEC) has suspended the ongoing local council election in Ido Local Government Area of the state.

The OYSIEC Chairman, Mr Isiaka Olagunju (SAN), announced this on Saturday in Ibadan after a monitoring exercise, disclosing that the decision was taken due to the omission of Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) logo on the ballot papers.

“I was just informed that inadvertently the logo of ZLP was omitted in the ballot papers for Ido Local Government. This is a serious error on our part.

“We have, therefore, decided to suspend the election in Ido local government pending a final decision on it in few hours,” he said.

The OYSIEC chairman said that the conduct of the election was generally okay, but could still be improved upon.

Meanwhile, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Oyo Command, has urged residents to alert security agencies of any observed security issues in their areas.

The state Commandant, Mr Iskilu Akinsanya, gave the advice while monitoring the conduct of the local government election within Ibadan metropolis.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the security boss visited the following areas, Agodi-Gate, Beere, Mapo, Molete, Challenge, Toll gate, Iwo road among others.

He said that there had so far not been any record of security breach, however, promising that security agencies were up to the task of managing the security of lives and property.

On the team of the NSCDC on the inspection included the Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Uche Chukwurah, and officials of the Director of Department of State Service (DSS).

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has taken Gov. Seyi Makinde of Oyo State to court over its exclusion from the forthcoming local government elections @in the state.

Also joined in the suit was the Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission(OYSIEC).

Oyo State Caretaker Chairman of APC, Chief Akin Oke, confirmed the development in a statement on Wednesday in Ibadan.

Oke said the APC, through its lawyers, had prepared the originating processes and forwarded same to the state’s Chief Judge.

He expressed the hope that the case would be attended to timeously by accepting it for filing and assigning it to a judge for hearing.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Makinde had on assumption of office in 2019 sacked the elected local government chairmen and councillors on the platform of APC, a year into their tenure.

The sacked chairmen and councillors had approached the court to challenge the dissolution, which the Supreme Court ruled in their favour on May 7, 2021

NAN recalled that the OYSIEC had before the judgment commenced electoral processes for the conduct of local government elections for May 22, in which APC did not participate on account of the pending judgment.

Oke said that the courts were imbued with extensive powers under the High Court Laws of Oyo State, Nigerian Constitution and High Court Civil Procedure Rules of Oyo State.

“Gov. Makinde and OYSIEC are planning to go ahead with the conduct of the local government elections slated for this Saturday (May 22) without the APC and other registered political parties.

“This action of the governor and OYSIEC is a waste of the state’s resources. The action is aimed at making mockery of democracy and the rule of law,” he said.

Oke described APC’s exclusion from the elections by OYSIEC as deliberate and unconstitutional, adding that OYSIEC goofed by commencing the process while there was pending litigation.

He also noted that OYSIEC had in its guidelines imposed a nomination form fee of N250,000 and N100,000 to be paid by the chairmanship and councillorship aspirants, respectively.

“These fees are illegal because election processes cannot be monetised. The OYSIEC having realised this illegal imposition of fees have now decided to refund the candidates.

“But not after OYSIEC had closed every avenue for participation in the electoral processes,” he said.

The caretaker chairman said that the APC said was aware that some Magistrate Courts in Oyo State are sitting over criminal matters considered urgent, in spite of the ongoing JUSUN strike.

“If the Oyo State judiciary could permit criminal matters to be heard in a strike, we trust his lordship, the chief judge would mandate the necessary units and personnel to effect filing, as well as assigning timeously before election day,” Oke said.

The Oyo State House of Assembly has confirmed the appointment of members of Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission OYSIEC.

The members were screened and confirmed on Thursday during plenary.

NAN also reports that Gov. Seyi Makinde had on Aug. 25 forwarded the list of the OYSIEC members to the Assembly for screening and confirmation.

The Commission has Mr Isiaka Olagunju as Chairman, while Mr Adeniyi Afeez Babatunde, Alhaja Ganiyat Saka, Mr Olanrewaju Emmanuel, Chief Kunle Agboola, Mr Remi Ayoade, Mr Sunday Falana and Mr Adeojo Elias were members.

The Speaker, Adebo Ogundoyin, described the newly appointed members of the Commission as people of proven integrity whose honesty and forthrightness were not in doubt.

“I therefore urge you to bring your professional experience to bear in your new assignment as the Oyo State Government has reposed its confidence in you.

“We expect you to conduct free and fair local government elections for the state,” he said.

While answering questions posed to him by the lawmakers, the Chairman of OYSIEC, Olagunju, described his new appointment as a call to duty, adding that members of the committee would not let the state down.

He assured that OYSIEC members would not be found wanting in the discharge of their duties, especially when conducting local government elections.