The Chairman Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission (OYSIEC), Aare Isiaka Olagunju (SAN) on Thursday said his mandate as the chairman of the commission is to conduct free, fair and credible local government elections.
Aare Olagun also noted that the poll will be coming up in April 2024.
Chief Olagunju (SAN) made this known in Ibadan while featuring at the monthly programme of the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) guest platform “Speak Out”.
The OYSIEC Chairman stressed that towards ensuring a free, fair and credible election next year April, the commission would engage about 18,000 personnel to ensure that the election went as expected.
Chief Olagunju (SAN) maintained that OYSIEC would next week commence screening of candidates to be presented for the election by the political parties participating in the election.
Olagunju, however, stressed that there was need for politicians in the state to abide by the laid down rules in ensuring free, fair local government election in the state.
He said OYSIEC would be neutral and fair to all the political parties.
Speaking on the security arrangements for the election, the OYSIEC Chairman said the commission would engage the police, army, DSS and NSCDC in the conduct of the election.
He stressed that the commission will not engage the services of Amotekun for the election, saying, ” in election management, the police is key in security matters. We have visited the police, the army, the DSS, and the NSCDS and the correctional service.
“We may not engage Amotekun to avoid the insinuation that they may be used to intimidate the people. We are going to engage the police, the army, DSS and NSCDC even the correctional centre,” he said.
Chief Olagunju added, “We have over 6,000 polling units now in Oyo state and we will have at least three people in a polling unit. So, we will have about 18,000 personnel. We will engage them and give them the necessary training.”