The Ogun State Independent Electoral Commission (OGSIEC) has ruled out the postponement of the July 24 local council election, with a call on participating political parties to intensify efforts on their campaigns.
OGSIEC Chairman, Mr. Babatunde Osibodu, who revealed this in Abeokuta, said the rumored poll cancellation did not emanate from the commission, as such, should be disregarded, assuring that the poll will still hold as stated.
“We have been inundated about a fake revised election timetable circulating in some sections of the media and the Internet that OGSIEC has postponed the coming local council election, billed to hold on Saturday, July 24 to Saturday, July 31, 2021.
“I wish to inform our people that there is no iota of truth in the information and that it didn’t emanate from us. I, therefore, call on political parties to go ahead with their campaigns,” Osibodu stated.
He said the commission was not pressured to cancel the non-refundable fee deposit, rather, the decision was purely from the aspect of law and good conscience, stating that from the inauguration, the commission had specified that it would operate within the ambit of the law.
The OGSIEC boss revealed that the commission would be scaling up its education, enlightenment and publicity, with a view to keeping the people abreast of the election, noting that electoral officers were already assigned to each of the 20 councils, who will together with other ad-hoc staff, carry out various voter-education programmes to the nooks and crannies of the state.
Speaking on measures put in place in compliance with COVID-19 advisories, Osibodu said the commission would provide hand sanitisers and other items needed, as law enforcement agencies would ensure social distancing, urging the electorate to come with their facemask when coming to cast their votes.
He clarified that elections would not be held in the Local Council Development Area (LCDAs), as the exercise were only for the 20 local council areas, calling on candidates and political parties to campaign vigorously and get themselves acquainted with the voters to boost their chances at the poll.
The Chairman reiterated that OGSIEC would not meddle in the internal affairs of the parties, urging all political parties to resolve their differences, as the commission would align only with the dictates of the law.
He further assured that duly registered voters, who have misplaced their voters’ card, would be allowed to exercise their civic responsibility, provided they present other government-issued valid identity cards such as drivers’ licence, international passport, national identity cards, among others, which also must correspond with the photographs and names as appeared on the INEC’s voter register.
