Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission has engaged the leadership of political parties in the state as part of efforts to achieve an all inclusive local government council elections scheduled for May 15, 2021.
The meeting held on Tuesday at the conference room of the Commission, Agodi Quarters, Ibadan, provided opportunity for representatives of political parties that have its presence in Oyo state including the main opposition party, APC at the meeting to discuss how to ensure the electoral empire becomes model for others through the conduct of free, fair, transparent and credible elections.
The Chairman, Inter Party Advisory Committee, Oyo State, Otunba Adegbenro Fagbemi and Chairman, All Progressive Grand Alliance APGA , Alhaji Suraji Owolabi, while speaking with journalists shortly after the meeting , pledged to give the commission necessary support for the polls to go as planned.
The duo, who expressed the readiness of their parties to participate in the forth coming local government council elections, emphasised the need for political parties to fill credible candidates for the polls .
Adegbenro said further that it was imperative for all and sundry to give room for political re – engineering and peaceful co-existence among political parties for democracy to thrive as expected .
” Our positions have been made , we have listened to them and also scrutinized their plans ”
” We will continue to monitor them and I can assure that my party will participate in the forth coming local government council elections ”
” My appeal to political parties is to bring out credible candidate , embrace peace before, during and after election ”
The Chairman , Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission , Aare Isiaka Abiola Olagunju , hinted that the commission would continually engage political parties and other relevant stakeholders in order to be on same page .
According to him ” the purpose of the meeting was to examine issues raised from some quarters following the release of election time table such as nomination fees and others for both parties to channel a clear path towards strengthening local government administrations through democratically elected leaders ”
On the possibility of reducing prescribed nomination fees by the commission for the position of chairman and councilor, Olagunju , maintained that members of the commission would look into the issue and communicate appropriately .
He thereafter re – assured political parties of readiness of the commission to conduct credible local government council election by providing a level playing ground for all political parties .
