Osun 2025 Local Government Polls: Parties’ Candidates Standing on the Grave of Dreams?, By Adekola Akintibubo

The Osun State electoral body, OSSIEC had since fixed February 22, 2025 for the poll and interested political parties have been working assiduously to participate and ensure victory on their sides.

Parties primaries are being conducted across party lines and candidates emerged either by primaries, consensus or imposition, depending on the window opted for by the parties concerned.

At any rate, political parties have been submitting their candidates’ lists to the OSSIEC as required by the Electoral Act, 2022.

Having said that, it is pertinent to note that the pattern of local government election under the watch of some erstwhile governors in this State has become worrisome calling for paradigm shift.

In other words, the election that ushers in elected local government Chairmen and Councillors in Osun are bereft of credibility and fairness; and not the true reflection of the choice(s) of the constituents for the state electoral umpire is always fond of compromising and acting the script handed down to it by ‘the masters’-the governors.

 This is so because it is either the sitting governor is imposing his party’s relevance on the State he governs or that he has another sinister motive(s) for doing so. Hence, the nomenclature “Independent” is just there for fun.

This is evident and prevalent although not peculiar to this State alone. Local Government polls results were predetermined and the contending parties, other than the ruling party, stand on the grave of their dreams like the proverbial Caged bird, that is, got their aspirations quashed and cut-short no matter how popular their candidates may be.

Daylight robbery of electoral materials, rigging, ballot stuffing, snatching of boxes, vote buying; victimization and intimidation of political opponents by the ruling party and what have you, are always part of our nation’s electoral process.

These satanic political strategies constantly woven spirally in desperadoes manner are virtually deployed, and even, they have become part of us as a nation (by extension) as if we cannot do without them.

The consequential effects are what we are facing now. Employing same tools, same resources, at the same time and other things being equal will always generate same result.

These devilish methods of wining an election have been with us since first republic till date. Some of the sponsors and beneficiaries of these uncivilized and archaic system are in power today eating fat on the hard-earned wealth of the country and to our utmost dismay, see nothing wrong with the system instead, the problems continue to fester like ‘a massive dust devil driven by a fierce gust front’. Must we allow these political quagmire to truncate our democracy?

The resultant effects staring us in faces are: banditry and kidnapping for ransom; corrupt practices in high and low places; embezzlement and misappropriation of public funds; theft and sit-tight syndrome and above all lack of respect for the rule of law and fundamental human rights.

 But is it that our leaders have not been successful in their efforts to trace and retrace the sources of our political and economic challenges as a nation; or that they advertently shy away from the woes bedeviling the country? Undoubtedly, all these misdemeanors are not unconnected with our leadership problem.

As parts of the efforts to reform our constitution is, the Supreme Court verdict which recently granted financial autonomy to all seven hundred and seventy -four local Councils in Nigeria.

But apparently, this seems not to be the end in itself because, the verdict does not restrain the States governors from committing their financial resources in ensuring landslide victory, no matter whose ox is gored, for their candidates at the polls in their respective States.

 The implication of this is that, the ‘master’ will still have the edge to wax his weight and pressure on the so-called elected council officials in terms of financial and political interference in the affairs of this government at the grassroots. That is where the purpose of financial or political local government autonomy is lost!

My question, if I may ask, now goes to His Excellency, Senator Ademola Nurudeen Jackson Adeleke that should Osun people wait patiently for the re-occurrence of the observed old method of electoral process identified above in the forthcoming local government election?

However, the ràison d’etre for this is because the Executive Governor is the driver, his personal intrigues and political interest are key factors that would determine the pattern and or direction he wants the election to take. This is the plain truth unless the poll is conducted by the NILGEC or INEC as being proposed on the floor of the National Assembly.

Be that as it may, all eyes on Osun State in connection with the forthcoming local council polls.

Osun people are now enthusiastically anticipating having executive council officials, Chairmen and Councillors, that would reflect their true choice; and results of election that would justify their opinion and sacrifice at the end of the process. Osun constituents are of the hope that putting this in place would return and restore the lost glories of the local councils.

Also worthy of note is the way masses are looking up to the Executive Governor Ademola Adeleke. I wish to appeal to the governor to come clean of this process and allow the wishes of the people to prevail.

It is hoped that a level plain platform would be provided by him for all political parties to partake and strive; and his excellency, as the chief security officer of this State, should also guarantee a conducive environment for peaceful conduct of this grassroots election across the State.

In conclusion, f this is done, our political and electoral process would be sanitized, re-defined, re-designed and re-invigorated to pave way for more credible, acceptable and fair elections to hold in the future in Osun State; and by doing so, the governor would be writing his name on the platter of gold as a pillar of democracy in the State.