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The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State on Friday slammed Governor Seyi Makinde for nominating new members to constitute the board of the Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission (OYSIEC).
Makinde on Thursday sent the names of his nominees that would constitute the new board to the state House of Assembly few days after members of the dissolved board dragged him to the National Industrial Court, claiming that he erred by removing them from of office before the end of their tenure.
The APC in a statement signed by its Publicity Secretary, Dr Olatunde Azeez, said the governor’s action is illegal because there is a pending suit and injunction filed by the dissolved members of the commission challenging their dissolution.
The party urged the House of Assembly not to conduct any screening and the new nominees not to present themselves for screening in order not to be part of what it termed “lawlessness” on the part of the governor. It said it was aware that all the court processes in the suit were formally served on the governor, State House of Assembly, the Attorney General, the Head of Service and OYSIEC.
According to Azeez, this is not the first time the Makinde administration will disobey court judgement, orders and processes.
He said: “We recall that in spite of a judgment of the Supreme Court and the direct orders of the Oyo State High Court restraining the state government from dissolving local government councils or appointing caretaker chairmen, Governor Makinde disobeyed same blatantly and dissolved the councils. Contempt proceedings are now pending against state officials on this. This present step by Gov. Makinde is yet again another challenge to the judiciary and the rule of law by the current administration.”
The Publicity Secretary said “it is a shame that the leaders who swore to uphold the constitution are now shredding it and dancing on its tatters”.
“When the head of government cannot respect the law, how can an average citizen respect the rule of law. We recall in January 2017 when the administration of Governor Ajimobi was served with a court injunction by a Federal High Court in Abuja to stop the local government elections from holding, Makinde’s predecessor complied and postponed the elections. Rather than follow this noble example, this current governor has been boasting on air that he will reconstitute OYSIEC and conduct fresh local government elections no matter what, even when an existing judgment forbids it. Such is the direction our state is now sliding to, lawlessness, disobedience, defiance of court and brigandage by those in authority,” Olatunde said.
The party stated that it would not fold its arms in resignation, adding that it will use all lawful means to confront what it called ‘continuing recklessness.’
“We hereby notify the nominees and all the members of the House of Assembly, not to lend themselves as tools in the hands of a reckless executive to despise another arm of government, the judiciary.
“We therefore urge them not to wallow in another man’s sin by conducting any screening nor should the nominees present themselves for screening before the house, recognizing that every nomination, screening, swearing in or appointment made illegally as threatened and done in defiance of the rule of law shall be voided and set aside by the court under the law. “We shall on our part, continue to stand as a bulwark against disobedience to the rule of law and lawlessness for which the current governor has become synonymous, rather than the legacy of a safe, law abiding and modern Oyo state which was bequeathed to him,” the statement added.