Opposition Boycott Of Oyo LG Election Helps Gov. Ajimobi Install All APC Chairmen, Swears Them In
The Oasis Reporters
May 14, 2018
The Saturday May 12, 2018 election of local government councillors and chairmen in Oyo State, South west Nigeria, turned out to be a ‘no contest’ after all. Neither did it become a referendum on Governor Abiola Ajimobi’s debt ridden and lacklustre administration as the main opposition People’s Democratic Party, PDP would have people believe. He’s been in power for 7 years.
The opposition parties in the state simply stayed away in protest, because they believe that the process had already been compromised. Therefore the governor simply put up All Progressive Congress,APC candidates. And they produced an all APC officials as winners claiming a possible lack of preparedness by others.
Gov. Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State wasted no time in swearing them in and has urged the newly elected council chairmen to see their victory as a call to service.
Ajimobi spoke on Monday at the swearing-in ceremony for the local government and Local Council Development Areas(LCDAs) chairmen held at the House of Chiefs in Ibadan.
The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state won all the 68 Chairmanship and 610 Councillorship seats in the local government election held on Saturday.
The oath of office was administered on the chairmen by the Chief Judge of the state, Justice Munta Abimbola.
“To the newly elected officers, having won at the polls, accept my heartfelt congratulations. Your victory has placed on your shoulders greater responsibilities to the people of Oyo State.
“I therefore charge you to live up to the true meaning of democracy which is serving the people and observing the true spirit of godliness, which is service to humanity,” he said.
He said the enviable position of the APC – led government in the state had produced another fruit of democracy with the swearing-in of the council chiefs.
“Your leadership must reflect people-oriented policies, programmes, projects, activities as well as developmental strides in tune with the very highly commendable repositioning efforts of our administration.
“Note that your overwhelming victory at the polls is a testimony to the confidence reposed in this administration by the good people of the state.
“I congratulate the chairmen, vice-chairmen and councillors who have demonstrated belief in the doctrine of democracy as being canvassed by the APC which effort enabled the defeat of the PDP in the 2015 general election.
“This culminated to the enthronement of the current APC-led Federal Government of Nigeria under the able leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari,” he said.
The governor stated that efforts at enthroning democracy at the grassroots from the inception of his administration in 2011 had been fraught with multiple litigation.
“For those who did not participate in the election, we are not perturbed because it is a confirmation of their self-assessment which is indicative of their lack of presence, relevant structures and convincing status in the politics.
“It is my prayer that the Almighty guides you as you begin to be worthy ambassadors of the electorate in your various localities,’’ the governor added.
The event was attended by members of the State Executive Council, APC leaders, party supporters and well wishers.
The atmosphere in Ibadan lacked the usual excitement of festivities as if nothing really happened, or that the people didn’t really care.
