Oyo State chapter of the Social Democratic Party, SDP, has unveiled its chairmanship candidates in 13 local government areas in Oyo State ahead of the polls scheduled to be held later this year.
The party unveiled the candidates at a stakeholders meeting held at its secretariat in Ibadan on Thursday.
Speaking at the event, the party’s chairman in the state, Micheal Okunlade, noted that the success of the polls in dependent on the level of integrity that the leadership of the state’s independent electoral committee decides to display.
“We must put it on record that the success of the forthcoming Council Poll in Oyo state rests on the OYSIEC chairman, Aare Isiaka Olagunju (SAN) and members of his Commission who should do everything possible to demonstrate to the world that the expected election is devoid of the usual manipulation in favour of the ruling Party.
“The Chairman of OYSIEC has assured, on several occasions, that the poll would be credible and we take him for his words. It is on this premise that we are requesting the Commission to make good its promise to deploy Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) for the election as only this would assist the cause of conduct free, fair and acceptable elections in April.
The party chairman also explained that the decision of the party to participate in the poll was borne out of the desire to deepen democracy and provide an alternative to bad governance.
He noted that democracy must be deepened adding that the party has concluded not to allow the ruling class to mess up the system at the expense of the masses.
“You would agree with me that opposition parties usually pay little or no attention to the conduct of local government council elections in view of the fact that ruling parties conscript it to massage their ego because they are in control of the election body which organizes it. This has been the case since after the first one conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in1999 when in the build up to the establishment of current democratic dispensation.
“This time round, we (at SDP) are resolute to change the narrative as we can no longer watch and allow the ruling class to mess up the system again at the expense of the masses. Democracy must be deepened and the campaign starts now.“
