The Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission, OYSIEC, has expressed its readiness to refund the sum of N50,000 for Councillorship candidates and N250,000 for Chairmanship candidates, as stated on the time-table and guidelines released for Local Government Council elections, coming up in the state.
The decision was in compliance with an order of the Oyo State High Court in Suit No. I/177/2004: National Conscience Party vs Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission And Anors, delivered on 18th March, 2004 and which declared the payment by the candidates unconstitutional.
The Commission also released the names of screened and qualified Chairmanship and Councillorship candidates of the 17 political parties who have signified their intentions to participate in the election, slated for May 22, 2021.
These were contained in a statement issued and signed by the Electoral Commissioner in charge of Voter Education, Prince Afeez Adeniyi, on behalf of the Commission and made available to journalists in Ibadan.
Similarly, the statement said that the Commission had resolved to refund the money of those candidates that paid before the pronouncement.
The statement reads in part, “The Commission wishes to seize this opportunity to inform the general public and specially political parties that our attention had just been drawn to the order of Oyo State High Court in Suit No.I/177/2004: National Conscience Party Vs Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission And Anors delivered on 18th March 2004 to the effect that sections 10 (b) (e) and (f) of the State Independent Electoral Commission Law of Oyo State contravene sections 7 (4), 106 and 107 of the Constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999(as amended).”
“In the circumstance, the commission hereby cancels payment of nomination fees of N50,000 for Councillorship candidates and N250,000 for Chairmanship candidates (as stated on Time Table and Guidelines for the Election) since the Constitution of Federal Republic takes precedence over any law or bylaws,” the statement said.
Adeniyi enjoined all political parties that have signified to participate in the elections to submit the names of their party agents in the polling units, wards, collation centers and Local Government Collation Centers to OYSIEC offices in the 33 Local Government Councils of Oyo State on or before the close of work on Tuesday, 19th May, 2021 for further necessary actions by the Commission.
He reaffirmed that elections would take place in the 33 constitutionally recognised Local Government areas in the state from 8am to 3pm (local time), stressing that there shall be restrictions on human and vehicular movements throughout the time of the election.
The Commission, however, enjoined all eligible voters to turn out en-masse on the date of the election.
He assured them that their votes would count, adding that May 22, 2021, announced by the Commission as election date, remained intact.
Mercy Chukwudiebere
