The Osun State Independent Election Commission (OSIEC) Chairman, Otunba Segun Oladitan, while addressing a press conference at the OSIEC premises on Sunday in Osogbo, said the All Progressives Congress only participated in the election.
He declared and returned 393 councillors unopposed in their respective local government areas, local council development areas and area councils having fulfilled requirements of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) the Electoral Act 2022 and the Law of Osun State Independent Electoral Commission, 2022.
Oladitan declared 69 chairmen and vice-chairmen duly elected having been subjected to YES or NO votes in their respective Local Government Areas, Local Council Development Areas and Area Councils. He presented certificates of return to all the new council officials.
It would be recalled that in May, 2022, the Commission commenced strategic consultations with critical political stakeholders in the Election Management Area with a view to conducting Local Government Elections in the State.
In his words, the Chairman said, “You would equally recall that as a consequence of those consultations the Commission gave notice that Local Government Elections would be conducted on the 15” of October, 2022.
“Subsequently, sixteen (16) Political Parties present in the State addressed a Press Conference showing their interest and preparedness to participate in the Local Government Elections. Only two Political parties differed with that position.
“As appropriate, this Commission issued out election time-table outlining series of activities that would lead to the conduct of Local Government Elections. Along the line, the two dissenting political parties commenced litigations against the Commission. I am happy to inform you that as at Friday, 14th October, 2022, which was a day to the Election when we were at the Federal High Court, there was no legal inhibition preventing Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSIEC) from conducting the 2022 Local Government Elections In Osun State.
“It is apposite to state that as at the time of the close of nomination and deadline given for withdrawal and substitution of candidates, only one political Party i.e the All Progressives Congress (APC) obtained and submitted the nomination forms for screening on behalf of its aspirants in all the Local Government Areas, Local Council Development Areas (LCDA) and Area Councils in the State. Those candidates for Chairmanship, Vice Chairmanship and Councillorship positions were screened and the lists of cleared candidates were displayed in all the Local Government Areas, Local Council Development Areas (LCDA) and Area Councils in the State.
The Chairman said the glaring implication of this is that they had only one validly nominated and cleared candidate for each of the Chairmanship, Vice Chairmanship and Councillorship positions for the elections of Saturday, 15” October, 2022 in the State.
According to Section 35 of the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission state says “If after the latest time for the delivery of nomination papers and the withdrawal of candidates for election to the office of Councillor only one candidate remains duly nominated, that candidate shall be declared and returned unopposed”.
“In line with the above scenario and in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Electoral Act, 2022, Section 105(1):
“If after the expiration of time for the delivery of nomination papers and the withdrawal of candidates for election of Councillors under this Act only one candidate remains duly nominated, that candidate shall be declared and returned unopposed”
For the Chairmanship Osun State Independent Electoral Commission Law, 2022 Section 33(2):
“If after the latest time for the delivery of nomination papers and the withdrawal of candidates and extension of time as provided in sub-sections (1)(a) and (b) of this section for an election to the office of Chairman only one candidate remains duly nominated, that candidate shall be declared and returned unopposed”
But this is in conflict with the Electoral Act 2022 Section 106(1) (a) & (b) which states that
“a candidate for an election to the office of the Chairman shall be deemed to have been duly elected to the office where being the only candidate nominated for the election he or she has
(a) majority of YES vote over NO votes cast at the election and
(b) not less than one-third of the votes cast at the election in each of at least two-thirds of all the Wards in the Area Council”.
Speaking further, the Chairman said “It is very pertinent to note that there is a vote apparty in the country and this phenomenon is always blamed on the Election Management Body. For example less than 20% of the total registered voters produced Anambra State Governor while the last Osun State Gubernatorial election was about 41.6%. This trend is always associated with the fallure of the Election Management Body whereas the fault is that of the political parties who fail to sensitize and mobilize to prepare electorate to vote the electorate who fail to participate.
“Having fulfilled the requirements of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), the Electoral Act 2022 and the Law of Osun State Independent Electoral Commission, 2022, I hereby declared and returned unopposed all Councillors in their respective Local Government Areas, Local Council Development Areas and Area Councils.
“As for the Chairmanship position, the following candidates who had been to YES or NO votes in their respective Local Government Areas, Local Council Development Areas and Area Councils are hereby declared duly elected as Chairmen of their respective Councils.”
