The local government elections in Osun State will be conducted on the 15, October, 2022.
Chairman of the Osun Independent Electoral Commission, OSIEC, Segun Oladitan disclosed this at a press conference on Monday in Osogbo.
Addressing journalists, Oladitan said “the commission is happy to inform you and the general public that the Local Government Elections in Osun State of Nigeria shall be conducted on the 15th day of October, 2022.”
He disclosed that the commission’s inability to conduct the election for years was due to a number of encumbrances which include, Court Litigations, COVID-19 pandemic, End-SARS saga and necessary enabling Law.
He said the coast was clear for the Commission to conduct Local Government Elections after all the inhibiting factors and circumstances were ameliorated.
“It will be recalled that the current Commission was inaugurated in June, 2020 principally to conduct Local Government Elections then. However, this objective was hampered by a number of encumbrances such as Court Litigations, COVID-19 pandemic, End-SARS saga and necessary enabling Law.
“The State House of Assembly had recently enacted Osun State Independent Electoral Commission Law 2022 which had been duly assented to by Mr. Governor. As at date, all the inhibiting factors and circumstances have been ameliorated, thereby making the coast very clear for the Commission to conduct Local Government Elections. All previous laws on Local Government Elections in the State had been repealed, he stated.”
Oladitan equally expresses the Commission’s readiness to conduct free, fair, transparent and credible.
“For some time now, the Commission had been making necessary contacts with relevant Stakeholders and carrying out in-house preparations for the conduct of Local Government Elections. As recent as Friday the 12th day of August, 2022 the Commission had parley with all the political parties in the State where they were informed of the impending conduct of the elections.
“In accordance with the Oath which we Members of the Commission took we shall ensure that the elections are free, fair, transparent and credible, he said.”
The chairman however, noted that the elections would be on presidential system whereby Chairmen of Local Government Councils would be elected directly and the Ward Councillors would be elected separately as against the 2018 exercise which was parliamentary system.
He said “You would kindly recollect that when this Commission conducted elections in January 2018, it was based on parliamentary system. I have the pleasure to inform you that the elections we are conducting this 2022 shall be on presidential system whereby Chairmen of Local Government Councils shall be elected directly and the Ward Councillors shall be elected separately.”
Representatives of various political parties in attendance expressed their readiness to participate in the elections which they considered long overdue.
