Osun APC Accuses OSSIEC of Frustrating Opposition Ahead of 2025 Local Government Elections
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State has accused the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSSIEC) of deliberately undermining opposition parties’ efforts ahead of the local government elections scheduled for February 22, 2025.
The APC’s concerns arose after OSSIEC, led by Chairman Hashim Abioye, highlighted issues with the nomination process of candidates from several political parties. OSSIEC had flagged improper candidate nominations by the APC, Allied Peoples Movement (APM), and Action Peoples Party (APP) for chairmanship positions in seven local government areas.
Presenting the commission’s verification committee report in Osogbo on Wednesday, Abioye revealed that nearly all of the 18 political parties that nominated candidates had committed one infraction or another. He cited improper nominations as a significant issue for the affected parties.
In response, Osun APC Chairman Tajudeen Lawal issued a statement on Friday expressing dissatisfaction with OSSIEC’s handling of the nomination process for local government chairmanship, vice-chairmanship, and councillorship candidates. According to Lawal, OSSIEC gave a 48-hour ultimatum for parties to rectify nomination infractions in nine local government areas, including Atakumosa-West, Ede-South, Egbedore, Ife-Central, Ifedayo, Isokan, Olorunda, and Oriade.
However, Lawal stated that despite the APC’s efforts to comply with the deadline, OSSIEC offices were unexpectedly closed by 2:15 pm on September 19, 2024, preventing the party from submitting the required documents. He further claimed that attempts to reach OSSIEC officials were futile, raising concerns about the commission’s transparency and fairness.
“The irregularities flagged by OSSIEC are a direct result of their own administrative shortcomings,” Lawal said, accusing the commission of rushing to the media without conducting thorough checks. He also criticised OSSIEC for lacking a Public Relations Officer, stating that Abioye was handling all administrative tasks on his own.
The APC chairman questioned the impartiality of OSSIEC, alleging that Abioye’s past involvement with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) compromised the commission’s independence. Lawal pointed out that Abioye had previously contested for a PDP seat in the Ifelodun State Constituency in 2023 and noted that the APC had legally challenged his appointment, citing a conflict of interest.
Lawal further accused OSSIEC of deliberately frustrating the APC’s participation by closing its offices early, despite issuing the 48-hour deadline, and delaying the release of election guidelines. He claimed repeated requests for certified copies of the guidelines had been ignored, further fueling suspicions of bias.
“The conduct of OSSIEC under Barrister Hashim Abioye casts serious doubt on the commission’s ability to conduct free, fair, and credible elections,” Lawal stated, warning that the APC would resist any attempts to undermine its candidates through all constitutionally acceptable means.
As the local government elections approach, the accusations from the APC have raised concerns over the integrity of the electoral process in Osun State
