Says plans to conduct LG Elections alive, active
The Osun State Independent Electoral Commission has clarified that the Akure division of the Court of Appeal did not stop the planned election slated for Saturday.
The Commision in a statement by Jacob Ayanyemi, its Director of Legal Services, described as misleading and malicious the information in the public space that the Court of Appeal has stopped the election process.
OSIEC said it only withdrew an interlocutory appeal filed before the Appellate court, stating that the court did not strike out the matter filed before it by the Commission in respect of the ongoing matter before the Federal High Court, Osogbo.
“To put the records in the right perspective, the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission has challenged the PDP’s case at the Federal High Court, Osogbo that the matter was a “PRE-ELECTION” matter and must therefore follow the rules of pre-election cases. But when the Federal High Court pronounced that it is not a pre-election matter and that it should go on, OSIEC had to approach the Appeal Court in Akure who confirmed that the matter is truly a PRE-ELECTION matter and that the interlocutory appeal be withdrawn to allow the High Court Judge conclude the proceedings when the whole matter will come to the Court of Appeal again.
“OSIEC describes as mischievous and misleading the information in the public space that the Court of Appeal has struck out the matter. The Commission further describes as unethical the action of the PDP’s Lawyer Hasheem Abioye who wrote on his Facebook page that the matter had been struck out when as a Minister in the Temple of Justice he knew that the appeal was withdrawn by the OSIEC counsel, Jacob Ayanyemi but decided to misrepresent and tell a lie of what never happened.
“Meanwhile, the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission wishes to encourage members of the Public to ignore the fake information in a section of the social media as regards the matter, noting that the plans by the Commission to conduct a credible and acceptable LG Polls this Saturday is very well and alive.”
The People’s Democratic Party told InsightMedia that it will release a statement on the development at the Appeal Court but it has not done that as at the time of filing this report.
