Osun LG polls in turmoil: APM pulls out, LP demands postponement over security fears

As the controversy surrounding the Osun State local government election continues to unfold, the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) has announced its withdrawal from the polls scheduled for Saturday. Besides, the  Labour Party (LP) is urging the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSSIEC) to postpone the elections due to concerns about the safety of its members and agents.

Adewale Adebayo, Chairman of APM in the state raised an allegation of a compromised electoral process. Adebayo expressed disappointment over the absence of OSSIEC staff, including its Chairman Barrister Hashim Abioye, from their office since Wednesday.

He expressed the inability of the party to deliver an official letter announcing their withdrawal. According to him, “We confirm that Abioye has absconded his office. This made it difficult for us to deliver our letter. This confirms our earlier concern that we raised that all the voting materials have been relocated to the Osun State Government House.

“We are stating again that we are not participating in the illegal Local Government election slated for Saturday.”

Also, the chairman of the forum of LP candidates, Barr. Oyebode Babalola said, “As we are aware there should be an election tomorrow and we have prepared for an election as a matter of fact, we are in high spirits for the election but the recent evmademake us think otherwise. We are aware of the crisis in Local Government Secretariants despite that we still want to participate in the election. Still, we have seen traces that the election might be disrupted and lives may be at risk and we don’t want to put the lives of our people in jeopardy, we are about the security for tomorrow.

“Only today till 4pm we are at the OSSIEC office to ask for tags for our party agents there is nobody on ground to attend to us, we called a staff of OSSIEC for about 3 times, he was telling us to wait till 4pm. We want the election to be postponed not cancel so that the crisis at the Local Government would be resolved. With the situation now, we cannot tell our people to come out and vote to put their lives at risk because we want to win election.”

Meanwhile, Governor Ademola Adeleke has ordered the restriction of vehicular movement from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, February 22nd, 2025, across Osun state. A statement by Olawale Rasheed, the governor’s spokesperson, said the directive was in response to local government elections scheduled for Saturday across the state.

Adeleke who reiterated his commitment to peace and security said the movement restriction is necessary to prevent the importation of hoodlums into the state amidst local elections.

He therefore directed security agencies to enforce the restriction and only allow voters and accredited media and civil society organizations for the continued peace and security of Osun state.