Labour’s Osun State Branch (LP) announced its withdrawal from local government elections on Saturday, citing security concerns and inadequate preparations by the Osun State Independent Election Commission (OSSIEC).
Naija News reports that Osun State LP Chair Adebayo Bello spoke with Osogbo newsman on Friday to announce it.
He called for a one- to two month election postponement to ensure OSSIEC was able to properly prepare and resolve legal issues surrounding polls.
“The postponement will allow election rulings to resolve legal issues surrounding election conduct,” Bello said.
Chairperson candidate talks about withdrawal
Similarly, LP chair candidate Oyebode Babalola said the party would not take part in the election due to concerns over security arrangements.
“We are ready for elections, but we are not taking part due to security concerns,” he said.
Babarola argued that the election could be suspended and there were signs that the party would not want to put their supporters at risk.
“We’ve seen some traces that elections could be confused tomorrow. We’re not ready to put people’s lives at risk," he added.
He also criticized OSSIEC for its inadequate preparations, saying that party agents were denied the accreditation tag prior to their decision to withdraw.
Also pulls out APM and expresses disappointment
Naija News has gathered that Allied Peoples Movement (APM) has also withdrawn from the election, citing similar concerns about OSSIEC preparations.
APM Chair Adewale Adebayo has expressed disappointment at the election agency handling the process. He revealed that when he tried to formally submit the party’s withdrawal letter on Thursday, there were no OSSIEC officials to receive it.
“We would like to make sure we are not participating in the illegal local government elections scheduled for Saturday,” declared Adebayo.
