Osun LG Polls: Our Stance To Boycott The Election Intact, Says PDP

By Ayobami Agboola, Osogbo

The leadership of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) in Osun on Monday said the party would not partake in the forthcoming local government election in the state.

Hon. soji Adagunodo

The main opposition party insisted that nothing would change its stance to boycott the polls slated for next Saturday, January 27.

Addressing newsmen in Osogbo during the party’s annual interreligious prayers to herald new year 2018, Hon. Soji Adagunodo asserted that the party chose to distant itself from the poll to honour the pending litigation.

According to Adagunodo, the arty would not participate in an election not recognised by the constitution.

He added, “We have a national constitution and we are running a federal system of government in Nigeria.

“Now, they want to enact a parliamentary system of government at the local government level and this particular matter is a subject of litigation in the Federal High Court in Abuja.

“We will not take part in an election that the court might notify afterwards, so we are not going to commit our resources to an illegal election and local government system.

Adagunodo reiterated that by Wednesday Jan. 24, the Federal High Court in Abuja would decide whether the Osun Independent Electoral Commission (OSIEC) would still be conducting the LG elections as the ruling on the election matter would be coming up.

He described the large crowd present at the prayer as a sign that God has delivered Osun state from the clutch of the APC, describing the huge attendance at the event as a sign that victory is at hand for the PDP.

“We thank God because he has answered our prayers. This year is the year of liberation for the people of Osun state. This is the beginning of the end for the oppressors”, he told the jubilant crowd.

In attendance at the rally were eight governorship aspirants of the party alongside top local, state and national leaders.

He said the party was working in unison to wrestle power from the ruling party in the coming Sept. 22 state governorship election.

CityMirrorNew  reports that Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSIEC) had fixed Jan. 27 for the state local government election (a parliamentary LG/election system) which the PDP challenged in court and asked the court to stop.

However, inspite the boycott alert of the opposition party, the OSIEC Chairman, Mr Segun Oladitan had informed journalists on Wednesday that the election would still hold on Saturday.

Oladitan insisted that the court summon served by the Federal High Court in Abuja was not binding on the Commission as it was served to the state liaison office in Abuja, which according to him is not binding on the Commission.