I’m Not Related With Gov. Abiodun – OGSIEC Chairman, Osibodu Clears Air On Rumoured Family Ties

By Adeoluwa Bravo

The Chairman, Ogun State Independent Electoral Commission (OGSIEC), Babatunde Osibodu says he is not in any way related by blood with the Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, as insinuated in several quarters many of whom believed he was appointed the state electoral Board based on family consideration, and in order to win election in favour of the ruling APC in the state.

Osibodu made this clarification on OGBC personality programme, Sunday Morning Live on FM, while fielding questions on preparations of OGSIEC and expectations about the July 24 Local Government elections in the state.

He pointed that OGSIEC could only organize elections and see to its credibility and fairness, but winning elections by any party, is solely determined by the electorates.

The Chairman said all the registered political parties aim to win the elections, but only few of them have campaigned and presented themselves to the voters who will determine the results.  “I have seen a lot of posters and campaign activities, but I have only seen just one political party doing that”; enjoining other parties in the state to go out and engage voters in order to secure votes also”

“If you want to win elections you have to campaign everywhere you want to contest, you can’t just seat at home and on the day of election, you just expect to be elected”.

Only one party is campaigning, others just expect to win – Osibodu 

He warned against the assumption that OGSIEC will favour the ruling party or the State Governor in the elections, saying there is a level playing ground for all political stakeholder to win as many votes as they can from voters through campaigns, advising that those who fail to do that may never win.

He emphasized further on the level of unpreparedness of some political parties saying a good number of them do not have a physical office to locate them, while some others do  not open their Secretariat or have no staff to receive correspondence.

“We even find it hard to locate them, as many of the political parties have no physical offices and for some who have, you meet nobody there. So we call them to pick up correspondences”.

Assuring the state of a free, fair and credible elections, the experienced Legal Practitioner emphasised that the Commission is fully prepared for the forthcoming elections starting with sensitization of stakeholders, and voters across the 236 electoral wards in Ogun sate; and keeping an open door policy.

On security, the OGSIEC Chairman gave reports of collaboration with relevant security agencies in the state, to ensure that people are safe while they go about voting.

While advising youths to eschew thuggery and violence, he warned party agents against vote buying and intimidation, demonstrating that his commission was prepared to prosecute anyone caught in the act to the full extent of the law.