The Labour Party (LP) in Osun State has withdrawn from Saturday’s local government election. This was announced by LP Chairman, Mr. Adebayo Bello, on Friday in Osogbo.
Bello cited inadequate security arrangements by the State Independent Electoral Commission (OSSIEC) as the reason for the withdrawal. He called for the election to be postponed for one or two months to allow OSSIEC to make proper preparations.
Mr. Oyebode Babalola, the LP’s chairmanship candidate, also confirmed the party’s withdrawal. He raised concerns over the security arrangements and stated that the party was not confident in the election’s security. He added that potential disruptions to the election had prompted the decision to prioritize the safety of the people.
Babalola criticized OSSIEC’s poor preparations, stating that the party had not been provided with accreditation tags for its agents after reaching out to the commission.
Adewale Adebayo, Chairman of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), also expressed disappointment with OSSIEC. He stated that APM would not participate in the election, revealing that OSSIEC officials were absent when he tried to submit the party’s withdrawal letter. Adebayo noted that all OSSIEC staff, including the chairman, had not been present at their headquarters since Wednesday.
On Friday, the OSSIEC office was locked, and journalists attempting to collect accreditation tags were turned away by security personnel. An unnamed security officer confirmed that no one had been allowed into the premises since Wednesday.
Efforts to reach OSSIEC Chairman Hashim Abioye for comment were unsuccessful, as calls to his phone went unanswered.
