*Gov’t Restricts Movement Between 7am and 3pm Saturday
*OSIEC Fails Bid to Stop Osun PDP Suit
By Olawale Lamina, Features Editor, Abuja
Towards preparations for the Local Government election billed to hold Saturday October 15 (tomorrow) , Osun State Government has declared Friday,(today) as public holiday to ensure logistics are in place ahead of the exercise.
In a statement issued by the state Commissioner for Information and Civic Orientation, Funke Egbemode, the state government announced that today’s work-free day was to allow travelers to be able to have free movement to their respective local government areas to exercise their franchise.
Tomorrow’s exercise is expected to take place in all the 30 local government areas of the state and not less than 1.9 registered voters are expected to participate in the LG polls.
In similar vein, the government also announced restrictions on human and vehicular movements across the state on Saturday, from 7:00am till 3:00pm, urging commuters to take note.
“The government is therefore urging citizens to go out and perform their civic duties on Saturday, as this presents yet another avenue to elect representatives and leaders who expectedly will work for our collective aspirations at the local government level.
“Citizens are also advised to maintain law and order, and not allow themselves to be used to foment trouble or impair the smoothness of the process and the peace of the state. Parents and guardians are advised to rein in their wards so that they are not used as agents of lawlessness and violence”, Osun government said.
Meanwhile, a Federal High Court sitting in Oshogbo, Osun State capital Thursday (yesterday ) granted application by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, seeking to amend its earlier suit instituted against the October 15 local government election in the state.
The application which was opposed by the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSIEC) was allegedly allowed to sail through by Justice Nathaniel Ayo Emmanuel, who claimed the amendment to the originating summons would not change the complexion of the pending suit.
The opposition party in the state had gone before the court to stop the conduct of the local government election. The matter is still pending before the court.
