APC to boycott Oyo board poll

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State has described plans by the administration of Governor Seyi Makinde to conduct another local government election in December 2026 as illegal, ill-conceived and selfish.

The APC, in a statement issued on Thursday in Ibadan by its state publicity secretary, Olawale Sadare, said the decision would further worsen the current situation at the grassroots level in the state.

The Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission (OYSIEC) had announced January 2027 for the conduct of another local government poll in the state but later changed the date to December 26, 2026.

The commission said this adjustment was due to a clash between the scheduled date and the date chosen by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the 2027 general elections.

Sadare said political observers within and outside Oyo State had questioned the OYSIEC on the rush to conduct another election six months before the expiry of the tenure of the current chairmen and councilors in the 33 local government areas and 351 districts across the state.

The Oyo APC said it will not only boycott everything related to the planned poll, but will also join hands with other patriots and rational minds to stop the governor from wasting taxpayers’ money on placing his minions in local government councils after his tenure.

“The whole world knows that the governor does not believe in the autonomy of local bodies and, when it comes to grassroots democracy, nothing can be trusted.

“It has feasted on the resources of the state’s 33 local government councils for over seven years, and people can’t wait for the third tier of government to regain its freedom in May.

“The same governor is now trying to impose another group of people who will be loyal to him even after he leaves Government House.

“And he knows that he will not be able to do so after the 2027 general election takes place, the outcome of which would deprive him of all political power and influence.

“The alleged frauds called local government polls in 2020 and 2024 are the last that the good people of the State will witness.

“So, the governor and his men should bury the thought of staging another farce where the results would be announced without any election.

“To this end, we urge PDP/APM members who are presented as OYSIEC officials to stop any plans regarding the premature holding of another local government council poll in December.

“If they proceed, they should be ready to face the consequences of allowing themselves to be used for wastage of public funds and desecration of democracy in the State,” the APC said.