LP, APM Withdraw From Osun LG Election

The Osun State chapter of the Labour Party (LP) has announced its withdrawal from the Saturday local government election, citing security concerns and inadequate preparations by the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSSIEC).

Naijaonpoint reports that the LP Chairman in Osun State, Adebayo Bello, made the announcement on Friday while speaking with newsmen in Osogbo.

He called for the election’s postponement by one or two months to enable OSSIEC to adequately prepare and resolve legal issues surrounding the poll.

“...ponement would allow the electoral umpire to resolve the legal issues surrounding the conduct of the election,” Bello stated.

Chairmanship Candidate Speaks On Withdrawal

Similarly, LP’s Chairmanship Candidate, Oyebode Babalola, said the party would not participate in the election due to concerns about security arrangements.

“Although we are ready for the election, we are not going to participate due to security concerns,” he said.

Babalola alleged that there were signs the election might be disrupted and that the party did not want to endanger its supporters.

“We have seen some traces that the election might be disrupted tomorrow, and we are not ready to put the lives of our people in jeopardy,” he added.

He also criticized OSSIEC for inadequate preparations, stating that the party’s agents were denied accreditation tags before the withdrawal decision.

APM Also Pulls Out, Expresses Disappointment

Naijaonpoint gathered that the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) has also withdrawn from the election, citing similar concerns over OSSIEC’s preparations.

APM Chairman, Adewale Adebayo expressed disappointment over the electoral body’s handling of the process. He revealed that when he attempted to officially submit the party’s withdrawal letter on Thursday, no OSSIEC official was present to receive it.

“We want to confirm that we are not participating in the illegal local government election slated for Saturday,” Adebayo declared.