By; BAYO AKAMO, Ibadan.
Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission (OYSIEC) on Monday said it has not been served with court order stopping it from conducting the February 11 local government election in the state.
OYSIEC in a statement by its Media officer, Mr. Cosmos Oni declared that the commission cannot act or react to the media reported interlocutory injunction stopping the conduct of elections in the 33 local governments and the newly created 35 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) in the state.
Mr Oni pointed out that for now, OYSIEC did not have the court process and there was no substituted service as well, saying the commission would not act on media reports on the court order.
According to him, OYSIEC will continue with its preparedness and activities towards conducting a free and fair election and that the commission upon receiving the said court order would consult its legal advisers.
He urged citizens in the state not to despair on the conduct of the election, saying that the rule of law and the provisions in the constitution will guide the commission in its activities.
It will be recalled that An Abuja Federal High Court judge, Justice John Tsoho, on Friday ordered OYSIEC not to proceed with its plan to conduct local government election slated for February 11.
The judge also directed the Accountant General of the Federation, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Ministry of Finance to withhold monthly allocation to the 33 local government councils in the state.
The orders were made in Abuja on Friday following a motion ex-parte filed in the suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/11/2017 on behalf of 16 Baales from Oyo Federal Constituency by the lawyer, Ahmed Raji (SAN), pursuant to the creation of 35 local council development authorities (LCDAs) in the state.
