Former Governor of Oyo State and Chairman, Elders Advisory Council of the All Progressives Congress, Oyo state chapter, Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala has adviced Oyo State Governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde to postpone the forthcoming Local Government election scheduled for the third week of May, 2021 to a later date in order to protect the sanctity of evolving democracy and correct past mistakes.
Otunba Alao-Akala gave this advice while reacting to the Supreme Court judgement that invalidated the sack of the duly elected 33 Local Government area chairmen in Oyo state.
According to the former Governor, now that the dust has finally settled on the legality or otherwise of the sack of the duly elected local Government chairmen, it is trite in law for Governor Seyi Makinde to see that there is the need to postpone the election.
He said, “Going on with the Local Government election as earlier scheduled will throw the state into another round of legal gymnastics.
“My advise to him is to sit down with the OYSIEC officials, look in to the new development and do the needful which is to shift the election date.
“Fortunately, the Oyo state Independent electoral Commission chairman is a learned fellow.
“He knows what the law says as regards disenfranchisement, he knows what the constitution say about holding elections and he knows the consequences of holding a one sided election.
“Apart from that, both the Governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde and the OYSIEC chairman have a name to protect now and in the future of the development of our democracy in Nigeria.
“This is an opportunity for Engr. Seyi Makinde to correct his past mistakes.
“He should not commit another blunder by going on with that election which I am hundred percent certain will be faulted again by the constitution, the electoral act and the judiciary”.
While commending the Supreme Court judgement for guiding against the unguarded disregard on the sanctity of the constitution, Otunba Alao-Akala urged the judicial arm of government to find possible means of fast-tracking time bound litigations that can disenfranchise litigants of their legal rights as is the case of Oyo state ALGON where the final judgment is delivered few days to the official end of the tenure of office of the litigants.
