The Chairman of Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission (OYSIEC), Mr Jide Ajeigbe, on Monday, said it had concluded the delineation of ward boundaries ahead of the May 12 local government election.
It would be recalled that the commission had extended the date for parties to submit their list of candidates to March 23, 2018, owing to complaints from political parties and other stakeholders on non-clarity of ward delineation boundaries.
Ajeigbe who made this disclosure at a training programme for staff of the electoral commission, in Ibadan, said it was only addressing complaints from parties and other stakeholders as regards the delineation.
“Delineation is a continuous exercise. We are addressing that and of course, we are already at the last stage. The delineation is completed; we are only addressing complaints from the stakeholders. My duty is to organize elections for the political parties and we are doing all we can to ensure that we have credible local government election on May 12,” Ajeigbe said.
Speaking further, Ajeigbe explained that the training organized by International Federation on Electoral System (IFES), was to ensure that the OYSIEC commissioners and staff embrace modern trends in organizing a free, fair and credible election.
Ajeigbe who reiterated that the May 12 date for the election in the 33 LGs and 35 local council development areas was unchanged, said the training was another attestation that the electoral body will not compromise on conducting a credible election.
In his presentation, IFEC facilitator, Mr Obaje Ukeh said the training aimed to build the capacity of OYSIEC staff, in terms of skills, knowledge and attitude required to effectively perform their duties.
He emphasized the importance of elections towards improving democracy, noting that all well-meaning Nigerians must be committed to ensuring that the nation has free and fair elections.
Credit: Nigerian Tribune
