Dissolution Of Oyo Council: A Recrudescence Of Executive Error

Ordinarily I would have kept silent on this development but because most learned colleagues have joined the dancing train to celebrate a decision that will make a mockery of the new governor soon, to caution our political emotion not to becloud our sense of reasoning I hereby join action and intelligence to the various opinions on one of the most sensitive marching orders reeled out recently by our esteemed chief executive in Oyo State His Excellency Engr Seyi Makinde.

The marching order that *the council chairmen and their councillors are hereby dissolved* was issued by the new Chief of Staff to the governor Chief Bisi Ilaka last week barely two days after assumption of duty.

The Oyo State government gave reasons for this act that *it was correcting the errors of past government* which according to it had flouted a court order restricting the then government and OYSIEC from conducting the council polls.

You will be astonished to remember that the assertion WASN'T CORRECT.

On May 10, 2018 there was a court judgement delivered by a Federal High Court, Ibadan dismissing a suit challenging the conduct of the Oyo State local government election scheduled for Saturday May 12, 2018 then.

The suit was instituted then by some aggrieved member of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ibarapa East Local Government area of the state against the then planned council polls ioined in the suit were the Independent National Electoral Commission, Oyo State governor and the Commissioner for Justice.

After the hearing the ruling by Justice Joyce Abdulmaleek held that the *OYSIEC* Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission (OYSIEC) was dully constituted to conduct the election based on the powers given to it.

The court even went ahead that *“The act of delineation carried out by OYSIEC which is the second defendant in this case is duly backed by law.*

After appropriate clarification the court finally *struck out,’’* the case and held the law IN FAVOUR OF OYSIEC and the conduct of the election, so to assume that *the council polls that gave birth to the council chairmen and their councillors was a breach of court order* is a misgive and misstatement.

I will like to advice the public to intelligently weigh government decisions on the scale of TRUTH and FAIRNESS and not allow the *bitterness* many may have against AJIMOBI to right costly errors this present government may likely plunge itself into.

Rev Bunmi Thomas
Assistant Electoral Officer, OYSIEC
Egbeda LG Area Office
08033747073.