A major opposition party in Osun State, South-West Nigeria, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) says party will not participate in the Local Government election slated for Saturday, Jan. 27. Speaking to newsmen in Osogbo during the party’s New Year prayer programme, the state chairman, Mr Soji Adagunodo said the party would not participate in an election not recognised by the constitution. “We have a national constitution and we are running a federal system of government in Nigeria.
“Now, they want to enact a parliamentary system of government at the local government level and this particular matter is a subject of litigation in the Federal High Court in Abuja.
“We will not take part in an election that the court might nullify afterwards, so we are not going to commit our resources to an illegal election and local government system” he said.
Adagunodo said since he Federal High Court in Abuja, on Wednesday Jan. 24 is expected to decide on whether the Osun Independent Electoral Commission (OSIEC) would still be conducting the LG elections.
A chieftain and governorship aspirant of the party, Mr Gbenga Owolabi who corroborated the position of the party chairman said with the PDP remains a united party in the state.
He explained that PDP works in unison to ensure it takes power from the ruling party in the coming Sept. 22 state governorship election, adding that PDP shall stay away from the LG election pending the outcome of the court judgment on the matter.
The chairman of the state electoral commission, Mr Segun Oladitan however informed journalists on Wednesday that the election would still hold on Saturday. He stated that the court summon allegedly served on the commission by the Federal High Court in Abuja was not binding on them since it was served to the state liaison office in Abuja.
Voice of Nigeria reports that the Local Government election which has been fixed for Jan. 27 by the state government will usher in a parliamentary system where only councillors would be elected and the Chairman will only emerge among the elected councillors.
The PDP has however challenged this in court claiming that such practice is alien to the federal constitution of Nigeria.
