I will conduct election in all wards, LGs, says Ajimobi

Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State on Friday declared that the local government election billed to hold on Saturday 12th May will hold in all the 33 local government areas, 35 local council development areas and over 600 wards in the state.

This is despite a Federal High Court injunction which ordered for suspension of the election.

NAIJAPARY gathered that some aggrieved APC members from Eruwa in Ibarapa East Local Government Area had prayed the court for an ijunction restraining the defendants, their servants, agents or privies from using, relying on or employing the use of any electoral areas or wards and polling stations for the purpose of any elections in Oyo State, including local government elections, other than the electoral areas or wards and polling stations created by the INEC, pending the determination of the substantive action.

But, Ajimobi while addressing members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state at the APC state Secretariat, Oke-Ado, Ibadan ahead of the forthcoming LG election and ward congresses said the court had not stopped the election except in some newly created wards.

Ajimobi while reacting to the Wednesday’s ruling by Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of Federal High Court 2 which granted an interlocutory injunction restraining OYSIEC from conducting election into the new wards created by the commission in Ibarapa East, said that the ruling did not constrain the conduct of the LG election in the state but only in the disputed wards.

He said he was leaning on constitutional provisions that the courts had no power over the election.

He, however, disclosed that efforts at reaching compromise with the aggrieved parties showed that the election will hold even in the disputed wards.

Ajimobi said, “There is this speculation across the state that the council poll will not hold as a result of the court judgment.

“We are telling the court that it is in the constitution that no court has power over the election. We are telling you that in the wards mentioned and those that were not mentioned, we are going to conduct election there.

“We are in touch with the aggrieved members of the party that had gone to court.

“I want to assure you that the election will hold.”