16 Opposition Parties Withdraw from Osun State Local Government Election

Sixteen opposition political parties in Osun State have announced their withdrawal from the upcoming local government election, scheduled for February 22, 2025, citing concerns over transparency and fairness.

Addressing journalists in Osogbo on Monday, the Osun State chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Committee, Mr. Victor Akande, accused the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSSIEC) chairman, Mr. Hashim Abioye, of deliberately withholding information about the election process from the parties. Akande also alleged plans to employ members of the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) as electoral officers.

“We have reliably gathered that Abioye has perfected plans to use PDP members as Electoral Officers during the election, which we all know what it means,” Akande stated. He further criticized the lack of disclosure regarding nomination fees, suggesting that parties could be trapped into conducting primary elections without knowing the costs involved.

Akande expressed frustration over the lack of updates from OSSIEC, contrasting it with the practices of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). He accused the PDP-led administration of creating a climate of fear to discourage voter participation. “We found it convenient to say that the PDP-led administration in the state is intentionally creating avenues for crisis all over so as to scare our people away from the forthcoming council election,” he said.

As a result, the opposition parties, including Action Alliance, African Democratic Congress, Accord Party, Social Democratic Party, African Action Congress, and several others, have decided to withdraw from the election. “We await the credibility of the poll involving only the Peoples Democratic Party,” Akande concluded.

In response, OSSIEC chairman Abioye dismissed the allegations, explaining that the commission was still in the consultation phase regarding the nomination fees and the appointment of electoral officers. “We are at the verge of appointing electoral officers and assistant electoral officers, we have not even drawn the list,” he said. Abioye urged the opposition to provide evidence for their claims, stating, “I urge the media men to ask the IPAC chairman, to mention at least two names of those already listed as electoral officers.”