Council Poll: Assembly Urges Commission To Be Transparent

The Osun House of Assembly has urged the state’s Independent Electoral Commission (OSIEC) to be transparent in the conduct of the forthcoming local government election this year.
The council election, earlier scheduled to hold in March, is postponed because of the pending bill seeking to create additional 27 local governments.
Mr. Kamil Oyedele, Chairman, House Committee on Finance and Appropriation, gave the charge when the Chairman of OSIEC, Mr. Segun Oladitan, and other officials of the commission appeared before the House Committee on Budget review in Osogbo.
Oyedele said the commission must ensure that all the political parties that would participate were given a level-playing ground to operate during the election.
He said the conduct of the election and its result must be acceptable to all the parties, adding that OSIEC should carry along all the stakeholders in the exercise.
“This assembly charges you to be transparent in the conduct of the election for the result to be acceptable to all as a free and fair poll. The house is ready to give necessary assistance to the commission for a successful conduct of council polls in Osun,’’ Oyedele said.
Earlier, Oladitan said the commission had begun preparation toward a successful conduct of the poll.
“We have begun discussions with the police, market women and other relevant stakeholders with a view to achieving a free and fair poll. As part of the preparations, the commission has visited four states of the federation where local government elections had been conducted,’’ Oladitan said.
He gave an assurance that the commission would conduct a referendum before the poll, to allow members of the public and corporate bodies to contribute to its success.
Oladitan solicited for adequate fund from the state government for the election.
NIGERIAN OBSERVER