The Oyo State Government has declared today (Friday) a public holiday to enable residents participate in the forthcoming Local Government Council elections scheduled for Saturday.
This was contained in a statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr Taiwo Adisa, in Ibadan, on Thursday.
The statement read in part, “Governor ‘Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, has authorised the declaration of Friday, May 21, 2021, as public holiday.
“The declaration of the holiday is to enable residents of the state participate freely in the council elections billed to hold on Saturday May 22, 2021.”
Residents were advised to go conduct themselves peacefully.
However, the state chapter of the All Progressives Congress has said it was already in court to stop the state election management body from going ahead with the conduct of the polls.
The state Publicity Secretary of the party, Kazeem Olatunde, said this in a telephone interview with our correspondent, in Ibadan.
He said, “Our lawyers are already in court as I speak with you, they are filing papers to make sure the council election is postponed. We are waiting for the outcome of that. We believe the court will answer it.”
The opposition party is insisting that the polls cannot go ahead without its candidates.
The party initially opted out of the polls insisting that they would only take part after a Supreme Court ruling on the then pending case filed by the elected local government chairmen sacked by the Makinde administration.
The Chairman of the Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission, Isiaka Olagunju (SAN), earlier said the opposition party was duly notified and advised to take part in the polls to no avail.
The Supreme Court had on May 7 delivered judgment in favour of the ousted council chairmen and ordered that the state pay their outstanding salaries and allowances withheld since May 29, 2019.
