I just read a report credited to Prince Dotun Oyelade, Oyo state Commissioner for information.
According to the report, the Oyo State Executive Council had approved the sum of 4.28bn for the conduct of the highly contested December 29 Local Government election in Oyo state.
The report further claims that, out of the total sum approved, the 33 Local Governments of Oyo state would be responsible for 60 percent, totalling the sum of 2,566,800,000 Naira while the State Government will be responsible for 40 percent, totalling the sum of 1,711,200,000 Naira.
As we speak, there are several cases pending against the conduct of the Local Government election, both at Ibadan and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
As a respect for the proceedings before the Courts, the reasonable option open to the Government of Oyo state would have been to wait for the determination of the suits against it and the Oyo state Independent Electoral Commission, OYSIEC.
Assuming the court eventually ruled against the Government and OYSIEC, it will then follow that close to 5bn of Oyo state and the 33 Local Governments funds have been wasted to conduct of an election which ought not to have been conducted.
I am curious that Governor Seyi Makinde is committing the resources belonging to the 33 Local Governments to fund an election that will be conducted by a Commission set up by the State Government. The OYSIEC is a creation of the State Government through the Oyo state House of Assembly and its finances should totally be on the shoulder of the State Government.
Secondly, I am curious as to why Governor Seyi Makinde would not serve out his tenure in peace, allowing the incoming Administration to decide on what to do with the Local Governments and wait patiently for the consequences of his actions and inactions of eight years.
We all know how Governor Makinde conducts Local Government elections since he became Governor in 2019.
In 2021, four innocent lives were lost in Eruwa when Auxiliary led PDP thugs to Eruwa during the Local Government election.
We also recorded cases of violence all over the state in 2023 during the Local Government election. The Local Government election under Governor Seyi Makinde is a day of rage and destruction, supervised by PMS thugs.
It is unfortunate that Governor Seyi Makinde is still planning another violence in-between Christmas and New Year celebration of 2026 and most especially, less than a month to the 2027 general election.
I want to call on Career officers saddled with the responsibilities of signing out money on behalf of the 33 Local Governments to beware of signing out any money for the purpose of a Local Government election.
I also want to put the Chairman and members of the OYSIEC on notice, they will account for every one kobo of Oyo state and Local Government resources wasted on an election that is planned to be conducted in violation of the proceedings of courts.
The 33 Local Government Chairmen will definitely add to the problems on their shoulders if they carry out this bizarre directive from the Governor.
The 2027 Local Government election, as planned by Governor Seyi Makinde will not hold and when I say this, I mean validly.
Governor Makinde is a very stubborn individual, according to him, but, even, his stubborness will count for nothing this time around.
Sola Abegunde.
