The Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission (OYSIEC) has commenced screening exercises for candidates of registered political parties, as part of its preparations for the conduct of April 27th, 2024 local government council elections.
While speaking during the screening exercise held at the Commission’s Headquarters, Agodi – Gate, Ibadan, the Chairman, Aare Isiaka Abiola Olagunju, SAN, said that the exercise was meant to identify political parties in accordance with the list of candidates vying for chairmanship and councillorship seats earlier forwarded to the commission by each party.
Olagunju explained that necessary arrangements have been made by the Commission to ensure equal and level playground for all the political parties and their candidates.
He noted that the screening schedule was based on numbers of candidates presented by political parties, saying that parties with the lowest candidates are top on the list.
He described the relationship between OYSIEC and political parties as fantastic, affirming that 18 registered political parties in the state are participating in the screening exercise.
“Screening of candidates starts today and will end 10th November, 2023. We have given political parties notice of the screening, we have some political parties who are not fully represented and some were fully represented. We are currently attending to political parties with the lowest candidates, parties with the highest candidates; parties like Labour Party, PDP, and APC which are fully represented will be attended to towards the end of the exercise.
“We have five sub-committees to deal with candidates; we have given political parties different days to make the screening stress-free.
“I must confess for now that our relationship with the political parties is cordial, incredible, very cooperating, we are working for the same goal,” Olagunju added.
In his words, the Chairman of the Screening Committee, Chief Kunmi Agboola, said that the interface of the Commission with candidates of various political parties was essential to ascertain the candidates who are qualified for the positions vying for.
Chief Agboola, who is one of the Commissioners of the OYSIEC, noted that the physical screening provided an avenue to know each candidate in person, thereby preventing the possibility of having ghost candidates
Speaking shortly after the screening exercise, the chairmanship candidate of Young Progressive Party (YPP) in Atisbo Local Government, Comrade Tunde Ogunniyi and councillorship candidate, African Action Congress (AAC), Ward Eight (8), Akinyele Local Government, Ibadan, Solomon Emiola, said that the screening was based on the documents submitted to the Commission, which they said aligned with credentials presented on screening day.
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