By Abdulfatai Sobande.
New Nigeria People’s Party ( NNPP) in Ogun has asked Governor Dapo Abiodun to immediately reconstitute board of the Ogun State Independent Electoral Commission (OGSIEC) to pave way for holding of fresh poll to elect new officials to run the 20 Local Governments in the state.
The State Local Government and Chieftancy Affairs Commissioner, Afolabi Afuape had blamed the inability of the Abiodun administration to reconstitute board of OGSIEC and conduct fresh councils’poll on the COVID-19 pandemic, which is seriously affecting its finances to provide the needed fund for the poll as planned early this year.
But the State Chairman of NNPP, Olaposi Sunday Oginni while addressing newsmen in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, said the state government should prioritize its spending and release the needed fund for reconstitution of the State Independent Electoral Agency’s board to mid-wife the councils’poll.
The opposition party described as aberration in democracy, the continuous usage of Caretaker Committees to run the affairs of the Local Government Areas since January when the members of transition committees were appointed by the governor and approved by the State House of Assembly.
Conducting local councils poll according to NNPP , is a constitutional matter which should not be delayed further under any guise.
Oginni expressed confidence that NNPP was fully prepared for the councils’poll, challenging the All Progressives Congress (APC) led administration to put in place machinery for the conduct of the exercise, to produce democratically elected councils chairmen and councillors.
“People of Ogun State deserved to be represented by the elected local councils ‘ officials, APC is afraid of the councils’poll because is losing its popularity by the day, following the governor’s recent comment supporting the hike in fuel and electricity tariff, we are sure of defeating APC at the poll”, the NNPP chairman boasted.
