By Michael Adeyemo
The Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission, OYSIEC, has commenced screening of candidates contesting for chairmanship and councillorship positions, ahead of local government elections, slated for the 27th of April, next year.
The exercise took place at the premises of the commission, in Ibadan.
The Commission Chairman, Aare Isiaka Olagunju, SAN while speaking with Pensioners FM Correspondent, said the screening was to identify each political party in accordance with the commission’s list.
Aare Olagunju said OYSIEC remains impartial in its conduct, by providing a levelled playing ground for all the political parties in the state.
Aare Olagunju appreciated the political parties and other stakeholders for the trust imposed on the commission.
He speaks further:”Screening of candidates starts today and will end 10th November, 2023. We have given political parties notice of the screening, we have some political parties who are not fully represented and some were fully represented. We are currently attending to political parties with the lowest candidates, parties with the highest candidates, parties like Labour Party, PDP, APC which are fully represented will be attended to towards the end of the exercise”.
Also speaking, the chairman of the screening committee, Chief Kunmi Agboola, said the exercise became imperative, for the commission to determine the eligibility of candidates as regards the positions they are contesting for.
Chief Agboola, who is one of the Commissioners at OYSIEC , noted that the physically screening provided an avenue to know each candidate in person, thereby preventing the possibility of having ghost candidates.
In their separate remarks, two out of eight political party candidates screened, the Chairmanship Candidate, Young Progressive Party, Atisbo Local Government, Mr Tunde Ogunniyi and the Councillorship Candidate Ward 8, Akinyele Local Government, Mr Solomon Eniola who spoke, commended members of OYSIEC for building public confidence and for inclusive participation.
3574 party candidates are expected to be screened before the end of the exercise which would end on the 10TH of next month.
