Barely two weeks to the local government elections in Ekiti state, the major opposition party in the state, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has shown little sign of serious preparation for the poll as various stake holders sing discordant tunes.
While the state chapter of the party has concluded that the party will partake in the council poll, some local chapters of the party have insisted on boycotting the election.
Boycott of local government election has become a tradition for major opposition parties in Nigeria. This boycott arises out of the fear that the predictable outcome of council elections is always in favor of the ruling party since the present arrangement places the power to constitute state electoral commission in the hands of a sitting governor.
When Justice Aladejare Aladejana, chairman Ekiti State Independent Electoral Commission (EKSIEC) announced that elections into the 16 local government councils in the state would hold on December 7, 2019, the People Democratic Party, (PDP) as the major opposition party would find an excuse to boycott the election.
The EKSIEC chairman had stated that congresses for the election of councillorship and chairmanship candidates by political parties would be held on September 21 and 28 2019 respectively. He advised political parties willing to participate in the election to collect form EKSIEC 001 on behalf of their candidates at the headquarters of the commission.
He had said that, “Pursuant to Schedule 4, Section 1, subsection 1 of Ekiti State Independent Electoral Commission Law, 2011, notice is hereby given that the local government election would take place between the hours of 8 am and 2 pm on Saturday 7th December 2019 in Ekiti state,” he said.
However, in an exclusive interview with Blueprint, the spokesperson of PDP in the state, Mr Jackson Adebayo, stated that apart from the decision of the state executive committee of the party to participate in the election, the state working committee (SWC) had also been up and doing in preparation for the election.
Faction of PDP stands aloof
Investigation, however, reveals that that the SWC decision has not gone down well with some local government chapters of the party.
One of such is the Ado Ekiti chapter of the party which announced its decision to boycott the election. According to the party chairman in the council, Honourable Yinka Olomofe, who spoke on behalf of Ado-Ekiti council stakeholders, the chapter directed its member to distance themselves from the from exercise, alleging that Governor Kayode Fayemi had perfected plans to rig the exercise through political thugs.
The local government chapter of the party claimed that SIEC was not capable of conducting free, fair and credible election since the electoral body was under the whims and caprices of Governor Fayemi.
Olomofe said the purported council election was a plan by Governor Fayemi to use EKSIEC as a conduit pipe in looting the state treasury to a tune of N5 billion.
He stated, “We also frown at the ridiculous amount of money which is said to be about N5 billion purportedly allocated for this shoddy exercise. We will not participate in an exercise which is solely aimed at siphoning the state’s scarce resources.
“An election predetermined to pay back supporters of Fayemi in APC cannot enjoy our participation. We would not give unnecessary
credibility to an election with a predetermined outcome.
“We, therefore, urge our members to continue preparing for 2022 governorship elections which is our focus and allow Kayode Fayemi and his political thugs continue their peculiar mess.
We are ready – APC
But the All Progressives Congress (APC) while responding to these allegations through its publicity secretary, Hon Ade Ajayi, challenged the opposition party to come out with facts and figures to substantiate their utopian allegations.
Ajayi said APC is readily prepared for the election, saying the party would soon set out its machineries on motion to embark on house to house campaign in order to garner votes for the party.
He said that the PDP is not aware that any local chapter of the party is boycotting the election, saying, “As far as the party is concerned, we are participating in the election. If anybody is boycotting, that is a personal decision.
At the party level, all necessary forms have been obtained by candidates while the party has concluded all documentation at the state Independent Electoral Commission (SIEC).”
The state PDP chairman, Chief Gboyega Oguntuwase, confirmed the position of the party spokesman, when he accused those threatening boycott of working against the interest of the PDP.
He said, “We met and discussed extensively on what the PDP should do concerning the local government election. We all resolved that in the overriding interest of the party, so that there will be activity in the party, so that Ekiti people will have option, so that the fundamental provision of the constitution that we all have right to vote and be voted for would not be blotted out by unnecessary emotions and sabotage, we should participate in the elections.”
Oguntuase disclosed that the party would not hesitate to sanction any member working contrary to the directive of the leadership.
“Any chairman of any local government that is making any announcement to the contrary, no matter who is backing him, shall receive adequate query and punishment for leading a rebellion at the appropriate time,” he said
CNPP agrees to contest
Apart from the PDP as the major opposition party, other 12 other political parties under the banner of the Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) have expressed their readiness to take part in the December 7, 2019 local government elections in the state.
Speaking on behalf of the parties at a press conference in Ado Ekiti , Mrs Olubunmi Falana of the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN) lauded the PDP and other political parties for being ready to deepen democracy at the third tier of government.
They include KOWA Party, Alliance for Democracy (AD), Democratic Peoples Party (DPP), Allied Party of Africa (APA), All Grassroots Alliance (AGA) and six others.
Falana said the parties’ interest in the elections confirmed its belief and confidence in the Justice Jide Aladejana-led SIEC to conduct free, fair and credible polls.
“We have all conducted free and fair primaries and believe that the SIEC will do what is right; we have no doubt about that.
“As political parties, we must all contribute our quotas to restore democracy to our councils, which is the closest to the grassroots and where the poorest Nigerians are resident,” she said.
Akomolafe clarified that PDP and other parties have nothing to fear, saying there are assurances from SIEC that the elections won’t be rigged in favour of the ruling party, the APC.
“We want to commend the PDP for revealing its readiness to partake in the local government elections. This would no doubt add to the credibility of the elections and make people to make the right choices.”
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