In a bid to address the economic challenges faced by his constituents, Hon. Olafisoye Akinmoyede Wasiu, representing Akinyele/Lagelu federal constituency in Oyo State, has unveiled plans to empower over 2000 individuals.

Better known as “Lafi,” the Member of the House of Representatives revealed this initiative in a statement provided to the press.

Scheduled for Tuesday, April 30th, 2024, the Economic Empowerment Programme will commence at 9 a.m. at the Faith Joe Civic Center, situated beside Community High School, Alegongo, Ibadan.

Olafisoye, who also chairs the House Committee on Nigeria/Mexico Parliamentary Friendship, underscored that the programme aims to mitigate the adverse effects experienced by constituents following the removal of fuel subsidies by the federal government last year.

Highlighting the significance of the initiative, the lawmaker emphasized its focus on enhancing the standard of living for beneficiaries within the Akinyele/Lagelu Federal Constituency.

Moreover, he expressed the programme’s broader objective of alleviating hardship and combating starvation among constituents.

The event is expected to draw various dignitaries, including the Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State, Barr. Issac Ajiboye Omodewu, alongside members of the state working committee.

Also anticipated are traditional and religious leaders from the Akinyele/Lagelu federal constituency, as well as representatives from local markets, artisans, security agencies, and APC members within the constituency.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo state has described the ongoing local government council election as a sham capable of causing the Pacesetter state untold disrepute if allowed to stand.

“And for this not to happen, the Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission (OYSIEC) has to halt the exercise and reschedule it for another day when it is ready to conduct a free, fair, and credible poll.”

Reports from across the state indicate that cases of non-availability of election officials, disenfranchisement of eligible voters, shortage of voting materials, violence, and threats to life were recorded while the electoral commission appeared helpless to rescue the situation, even as voters waited endlessly in most of the affected places.

In a statement issued today and made available to journalists in Ibadan by its Publicity Secretary, Olawale Sadare, Oyo APC regretted that “another opportunity to deepen democracy and return power to the people at the grassroots has had to be missed due to the insensitivity and insincerity on the part of the ruling class in the state.

“With what is happening at the moment in most Polling Units across the state, Governor Seyi Makinde has again disappointed the whole world. He promised the people that their votes would count today but the opposite is the case.

“The good people of the state desired to participate in an election to elect a new set of council officials but what they are experiencing is nothing but a sham.

“Even if OYSIEC comes out later to declare all the candidates of the APC, we would not rate this election as credible and acceptable as it falls below the minimum global standard of election conduct. The best thing is for the Commission to suspend the exercise and choose another date for proper conduct rather than continue to connive with a few anti-democratic elements in the ruling PDP to perpetrate electoral fraud and desecration of democracy in the land.

“For the avoidance of doubt, OYSIEC started with back and forth position on the need to deploy the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) for the conduct of the poll. A few days ago, the Commission recruited PDP members as its ad-hoc staff and this same set of people were saddled with the responsibilities of conducting today’s poll, and they have been carrying out the script given to them by the powers that be in the state. What could be the rationale behind taking 500 pieces of ballot papers to a Polling Unit where about 1,500 registered as eligible voters?

“OYSIEC failed to mobilize officials to attend to prospective voters in key polling units while it also released inadequate voting materials to virtually all the polling units. In most Polling Units, officials of the Commission did not arrive until noon when most voters had left for their respective homes in frustration. This aptly validated the suspicion that the PDP had handed a script to the Commission to implement in their favor.

“In the 10 local government councils of Oke-Ogun, the official result sheets known as Form EC8A were withheld by OYSIEC’s Electoral Officers while political thugs were unleashed on some members of the opposition who asked questions in places like Kajola, Olorunsogo, Itesiwaju, Ibarapa East, Lagelu, Ido, Oyo East, Atiba, Oluyole among others. The chairman of our party in Ibarapa East, Mr. Segun Ojediran, was violently attacked by the PDP thugs in Eruwa and he is now receiving treatment in a private hospital.

“OYSIEC has failed to accommodate more than 80 percent of the eligible voters in the state today, and there is no way the meager 20 percent of people who were lucky to cast their votes lawfully can decide the fate of the vast majority. Obviously, the Commission allowed a few people to cast their votes at the polling units while the balance of majority rights to vote was secretly handed down to the PDP. Any electoral victory given behind closed doors is illegitimate, tainted, and unacceptable. Therefore, we call for the total cancellation of the whole exercise as it was done today,” APC said.

Senator Sharafadeen Alli, representing Oyo South Senatorial District, has raised serious concerns over the conduct of the Local Government Election by the Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission (OYSIEC).

The lawmaker, who cast his vote in Ward 3 of Ibadan North Local Area, labeled the electoral process as a “sham.”

Expressing his disappointment, Senator Alli stated, “What is happening here shows there is no preparedness in the conduct of the election. I will say OYSIEC is out for another game because this is almost 11 o’clock, and officers supposed to conduct the election are not here. And this is happening in almost all voting centers in Oyo South Senatorial District.”

Senator Alli further revealed alarming incidents, including an attack on the Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ibarapa East Local Government, who is reportedly in critical condition at Awojobi Hospital.

Despite these challenges, Alli urged voters to remain calm and refrain from resorting to violence.

The criticism from Senator Alli underscores growing concerns about the transparency and effectiveness of the electoral process in Oyo State.