Ahead of the local government election in Oyo State slated for February 11, 2017, some of the registered political parties in the state have rejected the time-table released by the Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission (OYSIEC) for the poll.
The parties, including Accord, Labour Party (LP), All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Kowa Party, and Alliance for Democracy (AD) strongly articulated the rejection on Friday at a stakeholders meeting organised by OYSIEC at the House of Chiefs, Secretariat, Ibadan.
Part of the speakers at the meeting are the state secretary of Accord, Dr. Nureni Adeniran; chairman of LP in the state, Mr. Gbenga Olayemi; Secretary of LP in the state, Mr. Gbenga Oyekola, and others said there was no way electioneering campaign by political parties and conduct of party primaries would hold between November 16 and 19.
?They however agreed that the election day should not be tampered with, adding that only the time-table should be readjusted on the grounds that it’s too clumsy.
The state secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr. Mojeed Olaoya, and Director of National Orientation Agency (NOA) in Oyo State, Mrs. Dolapo Dosumu, urged OYSIEC to consider amendment to the time-table, according to popular demands.
The OYSIEC boss, Mr. Jide Ajeigbe, who urged the stakeholders to cooperate with the commission and offer useful pieces of advice on the election, did not answer questions that have to do with the delineation of wards in the new 35 LCDA).
In the time-table, Ajeigbe directed prospective candidates to obtain nomination forms from the electoral officers at all local government areas in the state, adding that deadline for collection of nomination form has been fixed for December 28, 2016.
“Submission of personal data form for candidates by political parties comes up from November 28 to December 1, 2016. Verification/screening of councillorship candidates will be held between December 9 and 10, 2016.
“Delivery of list of qualified candidates to political parties by OYSIEC will hold on December 12, 2016. Appeals/substitution of un-cleared candidates will be held from December 14 to 16, 2016. Screening of substituted candidates by OYSIEC will hold from December 20 to 22, 2016.
“Collection of nomination forms by all cleared candidates will hold from December 26 to January 4, 2017. Submission of nomination forms will take place from January 9 to January 11, 2017. Publication of names of qualified candidates will hold on January 13, 2017. Submission of names and addresses of party agents to the commission will hold between January 16 to 25, 2017. End of electioneering campaign will be February 10, 2017,” he said.