In Osogbo on Tuesday, Hashim Abioye, the Chairman of the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSSIEC) disclosed that the commission has not been officially notified about the lawsuit brought forward by the Action Peoples Party (APP).
Reports indicate that the APP filed a lawsuit against OSSIEC and 17 political parties, seeking an injunction to halt the local government election process in the state.
The scheduled date for the local government poll in Osun State by OSSIEC is February 22, 2025. The commission has already commissioned Electoral and Assistant Electoral Officers in readiness for the election.
The lawsuit filed by the APP also seeks to restrict the Commission and participating political parties from interfering with the ongoing local government election process in Osun State.
Contained in the suit marked HOS/M.29/2024, the APP urged the court to prevent any actions by the defendants that may undermine the electoral process, emphasizing that grassroots democracy would suffer if the court does not intervene.
Abioye responded, assuring that the Commission is committed to conducting a transparent and credible election and stated, “There are no disruptions from political parties in the state, nor any acts of sabotage.”
Addressing concerns about the local government autonomy Supreme Court ruling, Abioye clarified that it does not impact the local government poll process.
He added, “We duly notified each political party of the electoral activities prior to the Supreme Court ruling and have obtained the voter registry from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).” Abioye reiterated that there have been no delays in the outlined procedures for the upcoming local government poll.