The Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSIEC) has assured electorates that the local government election slated for Saturday, October 15 will hold as scheduled.
Tho is contained in a statement signed by the Commission’s Chairman Otunba Segun Oladita made available to newsmen in Osogbo on Wednesday, in reaction to the ruling of the Appeal Court.
The Chairman, in the statement clarified that the Appeal Court didn’t stop the election but ruled that the matter filed by the Peoples Democratic Party against the position of OSIEC was a pre-election matter.
The Statement reads: “The Osun State Independent Electoral Commission has described as misleading and malicious the information in the public space that the Court of Appeal sitting in Akure had struck out the matter filed before it by the Commission in respect of the ongoing matter before the Federal High Court, Osogbo.
“To put the records in the right perspective, the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission has approached the Appellate Court when the court ruled that the matter filed by the Peoples Democratic Party is not a pre-election matter against the position of OSIEC that it is a pre-election matter.
“At the Appeal Court sitting in Akure today, the Justices of the Court agreed with the position of OSIEC that the case is actually a Pre-election matter which interlocutory ruling needs not be appealed against. Given this development, the court requested whether to rule on the matter or the case be withdrawn? The OSIEC attorney, Jacob Ayanyemi however went for the option of case withdrawal.
“The court however requested both parties in the matter to go back to the Federal High Court, Osogbo for the determination of the matter.
“Meanwhile, the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission wishes to encourage members of the Public to ignore the fake information in a section of the social media that the matter had been struck out by the Court of Appeal in Akure. Nothing of such happened an the plans by the Commission to conduct a credible and acceptable LG Polls this Saturday is very well and alive.” The statement concluded
