OGUN PDP PRESS STATEMENT ON THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS TIME TABLE AS RELEASED BY OGSIEC. 08/07/2016

The State Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State under the Chairmanship of Engr. Adebayo Dayo met today Friday 8th July 2016 to deliberate on the time table released by the Ogun State Independent Electoral Commission (OGSIEC) for the upcoming local government elections.

At the end of the exhaustive assessment of the timetable and the process thus far, the resolutions reached are hereby presented as follows:

(1). That in line with constitution of our party which stipulates that we field candidates for all lawful elections at all levels, the PDP in Ogun state shall participate in the impending local government elections.

(2). Whereas, we have decided to participate in the election, we are however constrained to observe certain and very fundamental errors on the part of OGSIEC in arriving at the timetable. Such include the following:

A. Inappropriate notice of election  guideline as required by the electoral act by OGSIEC to all parties.

B. Failure of OGSIEC to convene a meeting of all parties and stakeholders where it will be unanimously agreed, the dates of the elections and all other issues therewith.

C. The election dates and timetable is grossly inadequate which does not give parties enough time to run the process of electing its candidates and preparing for the main elections.

(3). That in view of paragraph 2 above, we believe that OGSIEC is an independent body and should not be seen as working to an answer or doing the bidding of a particular party or executive leader.

(4). We condemn the timetable in its entirety and request OGSIEC to review it and come up with a more acceptable guideline that showcase the commission as being fair to all. Nevertheless, our party will commence our internal process to meet with the electoral guideline as released for now.

(5). Consequently we have instructed all wards and local government chapters of our party to present 236 councillorship candidates and 57 local government chairmanship candidates by Tuesday 12th July 2016; where primaries would have been held and concluded.

(6). As a party poised for victory in the forthcoming election, we have decided to encourage every qualified member of our party to contest this election therefore, the expression of interest form is free for everyone and only fees required by OGSIEC (if at all) shall become obligatory.

(7). Importantly, no one shall be excluded from participating in the process of electing the candidates , therefore there shall be no grouping as all groups within the party should freely participate and non shall be favoured over another. Only the best shall emerge via the primaries.

(. We want to also use this medium to state emphatically to the general public and OGSIEC in particular that there are no two PDP state executive in Ogun state and the only legal executive is the one under the chairmanship of Engr. Adebayo Dayo; suffice to say, it is the only one with the responsibility for the party affairs including presenting candidates for all elections.

(9). Not unmindful of the possibility of fifth columnist that may want to work against our party, only the Adebayo Dayo-led state executive SHALL submit names of candidates to OGSIEC for the local government elections. There are certified true copies of our executives list (as attested by the NWC/NEC) and certified true copies of INEC service of same executive to validate it.

(10). Most importantly, there is also the certified copy of several orders and court judgement that authenticates our executive and all actions that will be taken by it between April 2016 and April 2020.

Therefore, it will amount to a criminal contempt of court for OGSIEC, security agencies, anyone or any organization to undermine our party under the guise of a purported factionalisation.

Finally, while we await the electoral body to redress itself accordingly and initiate a clean process, we shall go ahead to satisfy the spirit and letters of the subsisting guideline and timetable. We urge all members of our party to participate in the process of primaries and also campaign vigorously for the election.

Further position shall be made public as appropriate. 

(Signed):

Bolaji Adeniji
State Publicity Secretary