The Allied Peoples Movement, APM, in Osun State has stated that the Hashim Abioye-led Osun State Independent Electoral Commission, OSIEC, is incapable of conducting a fair and transparent local government election.
In a statement signed by Wale Adebayo, the party Chairman in Osogbo, Osun APM said Abioye has a clear conflict of interest, since he is a member of the ruling party.
“This has certainly raised some concerns about the commission’s ability to be impartial and fair. Certainly there is a conflict of interest,” he said.
He explained that the development had shown the commission’s inability to conduct impartial and fair elections.
Adebayo, who is the immediate past chairman of Inter-Party Advisory Council, IPAC, in the state, noted that anyone who must be the head of the electoral body should not be affiliated with any political party.
“Hashim Abioye, without a doubt, was a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) before he was appointed to head the commission.
“We are not confident in his capacity to conduct a free, fair and credible elections,” he said.
Adebayo said for a credible election to take the centre stage, the present chairman of the commission must be replaced by someone who is apolitical.
“He is certainly not fit to lead the commission, and give the state what can be judged as a truly fair and transparent election,” he added.
Hashim Abioye was a Special Adviser to Governor Ademola Adeleke before he was appointed as the OSIEC Chairman in 2023.
On Thursday, Abioye announced that the local government election in Osun State will be held on February 22, 2023.