The Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSSIEC) has confirmed that the upcoming local government election, scheduled for February 22, 2025, will take place exclusively in the 30 constitutionally recognized council areas of the state.
OSSIEC Chairman, Barrister Hashim Abioye, made this announcement while speaking at the 44th edition of The Frontliners, an event organized by the League of Veteran Journalists in Osogbo on Wednesday.
Addressing concerns about candidate disqualification, Abioye clarified that OSSIEC did not disqualify any candidate based on nomination forms or tax remittances. Instead, only names of individuals who did not participate in their party primaries were removed from the list.
“OSSIEC will conduct elections in the 30 constitutionally recognized local governments in the state,” he stated. “We did not disqualify any candidate due to nomination forms or tax remittances. The only names omitted were those who did not partake in their party’s primaries. Those currently in court were never nominated or included in their party’s list.”
On the issue of litigations, Abioye acknowledged that legal disputes are an inherent part of the electoral process worldwide. He revealed that under his leadership, OSSIEC has faced an unprecedented number of lawsuits.
“Litigation is part of the electoral process, and no election is free from legal challenges,” he said. “In OSSIEC’s history, we have recorded the highest number of litigations. However, legally and constitutionally, we are clear to conduct the LG election. Our process is built on the legitimacy of the constitution, and we would have faced issues if we had made errors at the notification stage.”
To ensure a credible election, Abioye noted that OSSIEC has organized several training sessions, seminars, and retreats for its staff.
The chairman of the event, Emmanuel Agboola, a retired director of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), emphasized that elections are a process and commended the Osun chapter of the Inter-Party Advisory Council for supporting OSSIEC.
“I am more concerned about ensuring that the election process is credible,” Agboola said. “Elections are never perfect; while you do your job, there will always be critics.”
Speaking at the event, the acting Chairman of the Osun State League of Veteran Journalists, Prince Adeyeye Oyedokun, highlighted the crucial role of the media in sustaining democracy. He urged the public to respect journalists, acknowledging the risks they take in their profession.
He also expressed concern over attempts by some individuals to undermine the upcoming election by predicting its outcome in advance.
“The media is essential to democratic governance, and journalists will continue to report daily occurrences. However, it is unfortunate that some enemies of democracy are already predicting the election’s outcome,” he said.
