The much awaited local government election in Oyo State would hold in September as Governor Abiola Ajimobi swore in members of the Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission (OYSIEC) on Friday.
The eight-man OYSIEC committee were sworn in at the Executive Chamber of Oyo State Governor’s Office.
Members of the Commission are Mr John Ajeigbe as Chairman, Mr Sunday Aborisade, Mr Adedeji Raimi, Mr David Adeagbo, Mrs Omolola Odekunbi, Alhaji AbdulRazaq Akuru, Mr Lateef Bello and Mr Rasheed Olajire
In his remarks, Ajimobi said that the council election would hold in September and urged political parties in the state to begin preparations for the election.
He said that the constitution provided that election could be held 90 days from the day the electoral commission was inaugurated.
The governor added that the state government was unable to conduct council polls since 2011 due to some legal problems on the commission’s membership before he assumed office.
He said “the constitution of the state’s commission is in line with the desire of the administration to fulfill the aspirations and yearnings of the people of the state to participate in the democratic process.”
He assured that the legal hurdles against constituting membership of the commission was only recently summoned.
He described the newly inaugurated OYSIEC as that which parades members of high pedigree.
He noted that “the OYSIEC members are not politicians but accomplished men and women in their various fields of human endeavour. I have no personal knowledge or relations with anyone of them.”
The governor charged the electoral body to live above board by organising a transparent and credible election.
According to him, the inauguration of the Commission is another signpost to the commitment of the state government to grassroots democratic participation.
“I can assure you that all the OYSIEC members inaugurated today have been carefully selected and screened based on recommendation by others
“I assure you that the coming election will pass all known tenets of transparency, credibility that we all know.
“The Commission chairman, a former director of operations in INEC, has good credit and there is no better person for the post. I also learnt he is a God-fearing person.”
The Ajimobi-led administration has not conducted council poll in the state since assumption of office in 2011, which the governor hinged on the non-constitution of the electoral commission.
