Ogun LG Poll: Councillorship Candidate Writes Gov. Abiodun Over Replacement Of Name On OGSIEC List

 

Governor Abiodun

ABEOKUTA -  A Councillorship candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ward 5, Iperu-Remo, Ikenne local government area of Ogun state, Mr. Osularu Olabanjo Muyiwa has kicked against the replacement of his name on the final list of Ogun State Independent Electoral Commission (OGSIEC).

Mr. Osularu in a petition dated June 28, 2021 and addressed to the Ogun state governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun said his name was replaced for the incumbent Vice Chairman of the local government, Hon. Efuwape Olaitan Muhammed.

Osularu who spoke through his counsel, Barrister Daud Fazaz Segun explained that, though there were initially seven aspirants but four of them later stepped down leaving three others, Mr. Bakare Abolore, Waheed Osinaike and Osularu Olabanjo Muyiwa in the race.

He said Mr. Efuwape Olaitan Muhammed, a former councilor for the ward and serving Vice-Chairman of the Caretaker Committee of the local government was one of the aspirants that stepped down and was therefore honoured to be the Returning Officer, that is, the umpire for the primaries.

Osularu maintained that, at the end of the exercise, he won the party's primary election conducted in his Ward on May 20 May, 2021 with 15 votes while Waheed Osinaike came second with four votes and Bakare Abolore came third with no vote.

The candidate added that, all the leaders and other aspirants were said to have appended their names and signatures to the document announcing his victory while the same was also sent to the appropriate quarters of the party stating that he (Osularu) is the party's flagbearer for Ward 5, Iperu in the forthcoming local government elections.

He, however, expressed shocked  on Thursday, June 24, when the list of the councilorship candidates for the forthcoming local government elections surfaced on the social media with Mr Efuwape Olaitan Muhammed's name serving currently as the Vice Chairman, Caretaker Committee of the local government on the list.

The lawyer disclosed further that, though his client had written the state party structure to intervene over this crass corruption and unbearable injustice but nothing has been done.

He said this informed the decision to write the state governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun for urgent intervention because the matter was already generating tension at the governor's hometown and the party members may soon begin to drag themselves to court except the governor intervene on time.

Barr. Daud said this unfortunate incident negated the strongly held view of the Supreme Court which says that aspirant who has the highest votes at the end of voting during the party's primaries is deemed the candidate of such party for the election concerned and his or her name would be sent to the electoral body conducting the election.