The African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Ondo State has accused the Ondo State Independent Electoral Commission (ODIEC) of deliberate failure to release results of Igbara-Oke Ward 1 Councillorship rerun election.
“The failure to release the election held on 10th November, 2021 to Mr Busola Ojo, candidate of the ADC in the poll is a demonstration of gross incompetence and act of sabotage,” the party added.
The petition signed by the counsel of the candidate, Mr Ojo, Femi Emmanuel Emodamori, esq read:
“On 16th November, 2021, we wrote a letter to Mr. Governor on the need to immediately set up a Local Government Election Tribunal, in order to allow the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and Mr. OJo Busola, her candidate in the Igbara-Oke Ward 1 Councillorship rerun Election held on 10th November, 2021 challenge the purported result of the Election as declared by Ondo State Independent Electoral Commission (ODIEC) on Thursday, 11 November, 2021.
“Up until date, Mr. Governor has not set up the Tribunal, but we are sure His Excellency would not derelict his statutory duty in that regard, and that he would set up the Tribunal in line with Section 88 of the Local Government Administration, Conduct of Local Government Election and Allied Matters Law, Cap. 87, Vol. 2, Laws of Ondo State of Nigeria, 2006.
“It is however more shocking for the public to know that ODIEC has actually failed to even give Our Client a copy of the purported result it declared, seven days after the declaration.
“Mr. Ojo Busola (our client) had to personally write the Chairman of ODIEC to request for a copy of the result, which under the Law should have been given to him and other candidates immediately upon its announcement by ODIEC.
“Despite Our Client’s letter, the ODIEC officials who are said to be responsible for the release of the result have either locked offices or bolted away from office.
On 17th November, 2021 our Law Firm wrote a fresh application for the same result as well as the List of ODIEC Adhoc Staff for the Election.
“We met Engr. A. O Ogidan, the Permanent Secretary of ODIEC at about 1:40pm on 18th November, 2021. He told us he had officially endorsed Our Client’s application for his own copy of the result to one Mr. Ogeleye, who would in turn endorse it to the Legal Adviser to ODIEC, one Barr T. Omoloye, for legal advice.
“I obtained the telephone number of the said Barrister T. Omoloye and spoke with him for 3 minutes 31 seconds between 1:58 and 2:01pm today 18th November, 2021. He informed me that he was on a sick bed and could not come to office today, and any letter referred to him for legal advice would first pass through the tables of the Attorney-General, the Permanent Secretary and the Director respectively in the Ministry of Justice.
“I have sent a text message to Prof. Yomi Dinakin, the ODIEC Chairman, drawing his attention to ODIEC’s failure and/or inexcusable delay in giving Our Client a copy of the result, but he has not deemed it fit to reply the message.
“At this point, we are ashamed of ODIEC, supposedly headed by a Professor of Law, for its inability to successfully coordinate a Councillorship Election in just one Ward in accordance with the Law, when other Professors are commendably coordinating National Elections across the entire 36 States of the Federation and the FCT.
“The actions or inactions of ODIEC and/her officials in regard speak eloquently of gross incompetence and a deliberate attempt to sabotage the impending legal processes to be embarked upon by Our Client in challenging the purported result of the Re-run Election. Our Client would not accept this charade.
“We therefore call on ODIEC to immediately release the purported result of the Election to Our Client, just as we expect Mr. Governor and the Chief Judge to set up the Tribunal as required by Law without further delay. For the avoidance of doubt, we would seek and get justice for Our Client,” the petition noted.
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