...Says PDP’s candidate was not validly elected, demanded for cancellation, and conduct of fresh election
The leaders of the All Progressives Congress in Shaki West Local Government, led by former minister of communications, Barrister Bayo Shittu, has petitioned the Oyo state commissioner of Police over the conduct of the just concluded local government in the state.
The petition dated April 27, 2024 and sighted by WesternlifenewsNG, accused the Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission of electoral malfeasance and called for the outright cancellation and fresh poll in the local government.
The party leaders in the local government, including Alh. Tajudeen Okunlola (chairman); Mr Qaasim Arino Ajibola (secretary); Alh. Jimoh Azeez (chairmanship candidate) and Alh. Suleman Aderogba (vice chairmanship candidate) maintained that Peoples Democratic Party’s candidate was not validly elected, warning the electoral body not to swear him in.
The APC said no election was conducted in Shaki West local government as the electoral Officer absconded, without distributing any voting materials to any officers assigned to conduct the elections in any of the Polling Units in Shaki.
“Consequently, nobody could vote in any of the Polling Units. Ironically, for an election which should take place between 8.00 a.m. and 2.00 p.m. today, members of the rival Peoples Democratic Party (P.D.P.) trooped out as early as 11.00 a.m. dancing round the streets to celebrate the so-called victory of their candidates.As concrete evidence of the above-stated allegations, we urge you to confirm them from your Area Commander, the Divisional Police Officer (D.P.O.) and the State Security Service (S.S.S.) officials in our Local Government Area. They would all certainly confirm that no election was held in any of the 228 Polling Units in our Local Government Area.
“We therefore, by this letter, appeal to you to do the needful in getting the said election cancelled and a proper one conducted afresh. This, we dare say, is the only path to peace, unity, stability and development in our area. We hesitate to imagine what violence and instability would occur if the P.D.P. candidate is sworn in without a valid electoral victory, the petition stated.
