LG Autonomy: Tension as Davido's Uncle Gov Adeleke dumps Supreme Court judgment, see details

• OSIEC, the electoral commission in Osun state, has expressed that its plan to conduct the local government election in the state in February 2025 did not change
• Hashim Abioye, the chairman of OSIEC, maintained that the commission is not under pressure or experiencing legal hindrances to conduct the poll
• Abioye's comment came barely a week after the Supreme Court granted financial autonomy to local government and empowered the federal government to withhold the allocation of any council where an election was not conducted

The Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSIEC) has stated that it is not under pressure to conduct local government elections hastily, despite the Supreme Court's verdict on local government financial autonomy.

According to OSIEC Chairman Hashim Abioye, the commission is proceeding with its scheduled timetable for the elections in February 2025, as there are no legal hindrances or pressure to do otherwise.

Osun state vows to conduct LG election in 2025 despite Supreme Court orders Photo Credit: @AAdeleke_01
Source: Twitter

Why Osun will conduct LG election in 2025

The Nation reported that Abioye emphasized that the notice of election is a critical aspect of the electoral process, and any defects in the notice could invalidate the election. He assured that the notice given by OSIEC was in line with the law, having been issued at least 360 days before the election date, as required by the Electoral Act and OSSIEC Law.

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The governor's caretaker committees will see their tenure lapse in August 2024, and Abioye expressed doubts about a potential tenure extension. OSIEC is moving forward with its preparations for the local government elections, unaffected by the Supreme Court's ruling.

Ajiboye's comment reads in part:

When did Supreme Court grant LG autonomy

The Supreme Court granted financial autonomy to the local government on Thursday, July 11. The court condemned the governors' actions in installing caretaker committees and insisted that local government affairs must be run by elected officials.

According to the judgment, the federal government is also empowered to withhold the allocation of funds to local governments whose leadership is not elected.

El-Rufai reacts to Supreme Court judgment

Legit.ng earlier reported that the former governor of Kaduna state, Nasir El-Rufai, made a cryptic comment on the Supreme Court judgment granting autonomy to local governments in Nigeria.

El-Rufai quoted a tweet from the presidency that summarised the apex court's judgment with a terse comment saying it is God who gives and takes.

The former governor's comment comes amid his ongoing political battle with Uba Sani, his successor in Kaduna state.

Source: Legit.ng