The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), state of Osun chapter has flayed the outgoing administration of Governor Gboyega Oyetola for deliberately wasting the state resources over an unnecessary poll, noting that the failed exercise has vindicated the party position that illegality will not have its way in the state.

This was contained in a statement signed by its Chairman, Dr Akindele Adekunle, on Saturday, commending Osun people for taking to its call to stay away from the ill-conceived council poll.

 Dr Akindele noted that “going by the attitude of Osun people, who largely stayed away from the sham put up by the outgoing APC administration, it is not too late for Oyetola to apologise and ensure that every penny expended on the failed exercise is returned to the state’s coffers.”

“Right from the start, the process was flawed and our efforts to make Oyetola understand this was not appreciated. Polling units across the state of Osun are either empty or the presence of scanty APC members are what greeted anyone who visited them.

“Ballot papers purportedly used does not specify political parties neither does it designate the local government it was meant for. These explains the curiosity of Osun people and observers, who wondered whether it was an election or referendum that the Oyetola administration conducted.

“To make matter worse is how known members of the APC are stationed as officials of the OSSIEC, making mockery of the essence of democracy and bringing to focus the outgoing administration’s desperation to foist itself on the people.

“The summary of what happened today was that Osun people do not accept the sham disguised as election, and as a party, we are proud of their courage and resoluteness in rejecting a dangerous precedent that posed grave danger to our state.

“In any case, Governor Oyetola and his lackey at the OSSIEC failed in their design to hijack the councils unlawfully as Osun people made it abundantly clear with their boycott of the sham that no room for illegality. Our party sympathises with Oyetola and his party for failing in their plot to unsettle the incoming administration, which was part of the purpose of the attempt to plan cronies as the helms of affairs of the council across the state.

“We reiterate our warning that the PDP will do away with all the illegal officials that is produced from this exercise and want to make it clear that the incoming administration will ensure that everyone involved in this shameful act will not escape the wrath of the law just as every penny expended on it will be recovered”, the State Caretaker Chairman posited.

Osun LG Election Suffers Slight Setback, Witnesses Low Turnout

The local government area election in Osun state suffered logistics setback in most of the polling stations visited across some local councils. Voting started late in most of the polling units while officials of the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission, OSIEC, did not arrive at some places as at 11am.

There were vehicular movements in Ilesa, Osogbo, Ede, Ijebu-Jesa, and other towns, in spite of the no-movement order by the state government, while markets and shops also opened for business.

Diamond FM correspondent, Taiwo Adediran, who monitored the election process in Ilesa West, Ilesa East and Oriade LGAs, said while many others were still awaiting OSIEC officials as at 10:20am, election had been concluded at some other polling units.

An agent of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Iloko, said the early conclusion of the exercise wa due to limited number of ballot papers available at the polling units.

Only the All Progressives Congress, APC, took part in the election.