Oyo council poll will hold as scheduled

Gov. Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State says the May 12 local government election will hold in the state as scheduled inspite of a court ruling stopping it in some wards.

The governor gave the assurance in Ibadan at a rally held at the party’s state secretariat.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that a Federal High Court in Ibadan had on Wednesday stopped the conduct of the poll in some wards created by the Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission (OYSIEC).

Five persons from Eruwa in Ibarapa East Local Government Area had approached the court to seek an order of interlocutory injunction restraining the local government election in the state from holding.

Justice J.O Abdulmalik of the court had in his ruling stopped the conduct of the election in the affected wards pending the determination of the substantive case and had adjourned hearing till May 28.

But Ajimobi said that the election would hold in all the wards across the state, including the disputed ones.

He said the ruling did not in any way stop the scheduled council poll.

Ahead of the APC congress scheduled to commence on Saturday from the ward level, Ajimobi also called for unity among party members in the state.

The governor stated that the only way to have a strong and formidable party was when members work together in harmony for the party.

“ You all should go back to your respective wards and work together.

“Where you are pleased with the present executives, you can return them and where consensus on such is not reached, let the interested parties go to the field.

“We won’t tolerate crisis and anyone who dares do such will be handed over to the police,’’ he said.

NAN reports that the APC congress in the state was coming at a time the party was battling with internal wrangling within it.

The rally was attended by executives of the party, political leaders as well as members of the party from across the 33 local governments in the state.