The Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission, OYSIEC, has released a statement over the Federal High Court judgement stopping the conduct of local government council in some wards in the state.
Recall that a Federal High Court sitting in Ibadan on Wednesday stopped the conduct of the planned Oyo State local government election over the creation of wards.
But the State electoral commission, in a statement made available to insideoyo.com on Wednesday evening by its media officer, Cosmas Oni, stated that the body is yet to be formally served with any such order.
Oni said the information confirms that the said court’s order did not stop the scheduled elections and was only directed at using the newly delineated wards for the scheduled elections by OYSIEC.
“Our information confirms that the said court’s order did not stop the scheduled elections and was only directed at using the newly delineated wards for the scheduled elections by OYSIEC.
“Elections are therefore not, restrained from proceeding as scheduled in all the local governments and LCDAs.”
The statement further states that the extant provisions of section 9(1) of the Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission law, cap 154, Laws of Oyo State 2000 indicates that “no interim, interlocutory or any other order, decision or judgment by any court or tribunal before or after the commencement of this law in respect of any intra-party, or inter-party dispute, or any other proceedings or matter pertaining to an election under this law, shall affect the timing of an election under this law”.
“This extant law remains valid and binding on us all,” the electoral body says.