IPAC urges FG to release Osun LG funds

The Osun State chapter of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) on Tuesday urged the federal government not to withhold the allocation of funds for the 30 Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the state due to the failure to elect council executive chairmen.

Mr. Victor Akande, the IPAC chairman and Osun State Accord Party Chairman, made the appeal during a press conference in Osogbo. He stated that the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSIEC) had already started the process of conducting the LG election before the federal government granted autonomy to the local governments.

According to him, the OSIEC team has been working on the election process since January, well before the federal government even considered the idea of going to the Supreme Court.

“We are appealing to the federal government not to withhold the allocation for all the LGs in Osun State because the state is already in the process, and they have not erred on the side of the law.”

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He argued that “the Osun State law stipulates that election notice must be given 360 days before the election date, which aligns with the electoral law of 2022.”

The IPAC chairman further assured Osun State citizens not to panic, as due processes are in place according to the law to prevent the federal government from withholding the allocations.

The political parties agreed that the OSIEC team has convinced them beyond a reasonable doubt that they will be transparent and conduct a credible, free, and fair election come February 2025.

“Therefore, we have given them our vote of confidence today, pledging all the support they need to ensure the election is recognized as free and fair throughout Nigeria. That is our first resolution.”

“We extend a hand of fellowship to express our confidence in them and our trust that they will conduct a free, fair, and credible election.”

“The second resolution we reached during this special interaction with OSIEC and other political stakeholders is that there will be a peaceful campaign in February 2025.”

“We must ensure that this election is free from violence, as no single citizen’s life is worth the post of any politician.”

“The campaign has begun according to the guidelines provided to us, so we all agreed that political parties will communicate to all our members the importance of a peaceful campaign. We support OSIEC’s campaign against cybercrime, cultism, and drug abuse.”

Meanwhile, the OSSIEC Chairman, Barrister Ashim Abioye, assured the people of the state that the commission would ensure it conducts free, fair, and credible elections.