Osun APC, Others Face Disqualification in 7 LGs – OSSIEC Chairman

The Osun State Independent Electoral Commission, on Wednesday, said three political parties fielding candidates in the next local government elections in the state risked disqualification over improper nomination of flagbearers.

The OSSIEC chairman, Hashim Abioye, while presenting the report of the commission’s verification committee to journalists in Osogbo, said nearly all the 18 political parties that nominated candidates committed one infraction or the other.

Abioye said All Progressives Congress, Allied Peoples Movement, and Action Peoples Party, committed infractions that could not be overlooked, as they did not properly nominate candidates for the chairmanship post in about 7 local government areas.

According to him, the names of candidates submitted by the affected political parties were different from the names on the nomination forms of the same political parties submitted to the Commission.

“In the course of the verification exercise, a checklist was designed to gauge and verify the eligibility of each candidate’s age qualification, academic qualification, tax compliance, nomination fee compliance, and most importantly, sponsorship by the political party of the candidate as contained in the list of candidates submitted to the commission by the political party, were the yardstick

“Some political parties, notably the All Progressives Congress, the Allied Peoples Movement, and the Action Peoples Party ran foul of the provisions and procedure regarding substitution of candidates.

“While no substitution can be validly done without following the rules, any substitution or change of candidate done after the purported candidate intended to be a replacement for another must have been given and submitted nomination form despite his/her name not being on the list originally submitted to the commission would be void.”

When contacted by Punch for a reaction, Osun APC spokesperson, Mr. Kola Olabisi, said the report was not at the disposal of the party yet, assuring that the necessary organ of APC would direct the next line of action after studying the documents.

Olabisi added, “We are a party that acts based on the rule of law. We will study the report to be sure what he said is devoid of victimisation.”

OSSIEC had fixed February 22, 2025, for the local government elections in the state.

Punch