During a press briefing at his residence in Ibadan North Local Government Area, Barrister Sharafadeen Abiodun Alli, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Electoral Matters, stated that the Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission, OYSIEC, was not adequately prepared for today’s local government election.
OYSIEC is overseeing the LG elections across the 33 local government areas in the state, as reported by NewsNow.
Delivering his concerns, Alli, the representative of Oyo South Senatorial District under the All Progressives Congress, APC, expressed dissatisfaction with the delayed arrival of electoral materials in certain locations.
He highlighted a variety of irregularities that have marred the election process.
Further elaborating, Alli asserted that the situation indicates a lack of readiness on the part of OYSIEC for the election.
He also mentioned receiving reports of delays in the delivery of electoral materials in numerous areas of the state.
“I have received complaints from Iseyin and Okeho since yesterday. There were issues in Ayete yesterday, and polling officers are still yet to reach Idikan Onibata in Ward 4, Ward 5 of Ibadan North West Local Government Area, despite ongoing complaints,” stated Alli.
As of his statement, the officials were reportedly en route. However, with the election set to close at 3:00 pm, their tardiness until 11:00 am was concerning according to Alli.
“These occurrences suggest that OYSIEC was either ill-prepared or engaged in manipulative tactics – it’s one of the two scenarios,” Alli noted.
Highlighting the proximity of the locations to both the OYSIEC and Ibadan North local government headquarters, Alli underscored the inefficiency of the delay.
This voting precinct, Ward 3, is where Alli has historically cast his vote, with the previous year’s election reaching its conclusion by the current time of the day.