Oyo LG poll, a charade – Minister

The Minister of Communications, Mr Adebayo Shittu, has described the local government election held on Saturday in Oyo State as a charade

Shittu told newsmen on Sunday in Ibadan that two legal suits against the election would soon decide if the exercise was valid.

“The council poll is a travesty of justice and a violation of the spirit of democracy. It is self-serving and aimed specifically at the gubernatorial primaries of the party,’’ he said.

He wondered why Gov. Abiola Ajimobi was in a rush to conduct the poll which he never did in seven years of his administration.

The minister said the governor’s target was to have elected chairmen on ground knowing well that they would be automatic delegates.

Shittu said that the two pending cases on the election were filed in Abuja and Ibadan.

“I am happy that we all are in the state and saw that the generality of our people ignored the election, despite the fact that we in the Unity Forum did not instruct people to do so.

“We will not sleep, rest on our oars, be cowed nor submit to injustice or impunity. We will not,’’ he added.

According to Shittu, peace can only be achieved when there is justice in the polity.

Our correspondent reports that APC won all the chairmanship and councillorship positions in the 33 Local Government Councils and 35 Local Council Development Areas.