At least 16 opposition political parties in Osun State have announced their intention to withdraw from the forthcoming local government election.
Briefing journalists in Osogbo on Monday, the State Chairman of Inter-Party Advisory Council, Victor Akande, said that the association has decided to boycott the election due to lack of confidence in the Chairman of the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission, Barrister Ashim Abioye.
IPAC also alleged that OSSIEC chairman, planned to employ Peoples Democratic Party’s members as electoral officers for the poll.
Akande also added that information about the nomination fees for the posts that would be contested for were also not disclosed by Abioye.
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He said: “We have reliably gathered that Abioye has perfected plans to use PDP members as Electoral Officers during the election, which we all know what it means. His intention is to trap us into conducting our parties’ primary elections without disclosing the amount each party will pay, which will, of course, lead to efforts in futility after announcing an exorbitant fee.
“We expected up-to-date information from Abioye has been done by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), but the reverse is the case as we always have information about Osun local government election from PDP e-rats.
“We found it convenient to say that the PDP-led administration in the state is intentionally creating avenues for crisis all over so as to scare our people away from the forthcoming council election, as only a secure mind will have the courage to go out to vote for his/her choice.
“It is on these notes that we resolved, after deliberations with our parties’ members, to BACK OUT of the forthcoming local government election in Osun state.
“Political parties involved in this include Action Alliance, African Democratic Congress, Accord Party, Social Democratic Party, African Action Congress, New Nigeria Peoples Party, Allied Peoples Party and the Peoples Redemption Party.
“Others are the All Progressives Grand Alliance, Zenith Labour Party, Action Democratic Party, Action Peoples Party, Labour Party, Boot Party, National Rescue Movement and Young Peoples Party. We await the credibility of the poll involving only the Peoples Democratic Party.”
