The Chairman of the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission, OSSIEC, Hashim Abioye has revealed that sensitive materials were distributed to local governments some days before February 22 controversial local government elections in the state.
Abioye also added that before the OSSIEC head office was closed down, staff of the commission daily fed the deployed security personnel daily.
The OSSIEC Chairman made this revelation while defending the February 22, 2025 local government election during question and answers session of the 47th edition of The Frontliners of the League of Veteran Journalists, LVJ, Osun State on Wednesday in Osogbo.
He said, “We distributed election materials to all local governments, Tuesday before the election. We did all we were supposed to do and the election must hold.
“No security agents came to our offices without being fed. We gave them three square meals in their numbers. We never did anything wrong to the security agents.
“The election took place against their wish and will, that’s why they condemned it.
“The election result was declared and my job is to declare it.”
The OSSIEC boss also disclosed that the Commission had intelligence reports that some individuals were out to scuttle the election without justification, which led to attempts to frustrate the process.
According to him, “there were even calls for my arrest prior to the election, despite efforts made to ensure credibility and fairness.
“We had settled everything and even amended the timetable to allow for any issues,” he added.
He also revealed that OSSIEC had information suggesting that some security personnel were looking for him and his team before the polls.
The Commission’s Chairman stated that he issued nomination forms to the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Osun State on credit, when the party complained of being short of funds ahead of the election.
Speaking on his role, he emphasised, “That will be left for the politicians. My own is to tell the whole world who are the legitimate elected Osun local government officials.”
On the question of legitimacy, the OSSIEC boss argued that the APC members that were elected during the controversial October 22, 2022 local government election in the state no longer had any valid tenure following judicial pronouncements.
“What is happening in Osun from the side of APC is sheer arrogance and failed ignorance. They know they don’t have any tenure running as a Federal High Court of law has invalidated the election that brought them to power,” he stated.
He explained that the election conducted earlier by OSSIEC had been nullified by the court, and the officials were removed.
“Their request for a stay of execution was rejected by the court.
“Two judgments sacked them. They appealed the two and abandoned one. The Federal High Court gave judgments on the two decisions. The implication of abandoning a decision is that it remains binding on the parties. The appeal cannot be relisted,” he clarified.
The Chairman expressed disappointment at the involvement of the Inspector General of Police, IGP, and the Attorney General of the Federation, AGF, in the Osun local government election.
“What is the business of the IGP in Osun LG election?” he queried.
Maintaining that the only legitimate local government officials in Osun were those elected in the February 22, 2025 polls, he insisted that the rule of law must be respected.
“The IGP and AGF were wrong on the stand they took on the Osun local government election. The AGF is only using his office to suppress the will of the people of Osun State,” he concluded.
