Worried by the delay in the conduct of bye election to fill the vacant Akure South/North federal constituency, a lawmaker, Hon Sunday Olajide has charged the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC) to fix date for the election.
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Femi Gbajabiamila has declared the Akure South/North federal constituency seat vacant following the death of former occupier, Adedayo Omolafe who died earlier in the year.
Olajide, who represents Akure Constituency-II in the Ondo State House of Assembly said the electoral umpire must set in motion, the process of filling the vacant seat so that the people of the two local governments would not be shortchanged in the scheme of things at the National level.
Speaking with reporters on Tuesday about his interest in vying for the vacant seat, Olajide, who is the Chairman House Committee on Appropriation said the Akure people would be marginalised if the seat is not fill within the shortest period of time by the INEC.
His words “the major preoccupation of a legislative member is to participate in law making, in the process, does oversight functions and try to be the the eyes, the ears and the mind of his people in the national assembly. As of today, the Akure South/North Federal constituency, do not have representative and this will affect so many things.
“We don’t have anybody championing our course presently and come to think of it, it is at a time that the budget is going on and by the virtue of my own experience as a lawmaker and Chairman, Finance and Appropriations I know the importance of budget that it is a time where you plan and prepare for what will happen in the next fiscal year. That is to say, which project will go to which place will be determined now.
“Our representative at a time like this will be the one to champion our course to make sure that projects that will benefit people of Ondo State are injected into the budget but unfortunately, we don’t have such person now.
“We know the importance of budget, we know how it can be used to benefit the people and our presence at this point will be used to champion the course of our people. My advice to the electoral body is to make a pronouncement for a by-election for the vacant seat of Akure South/North federal constituency for election to be conducted, so that we would not be cheated and short change in the process.”
He appealed to the INEC to fix date for the election so that the elected representative of the people would have input into the budget process going on at the national level.
INAUGURATION OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTION PETITION TRIBUNAL IN RESPECT OF THE IFEDORE LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTION HELD ON THE 10TH OF NOVEMBER, 2021
Following a consultation with the Hon. Chief Judge of Ondo State, Hon. Justice Williams Akinlolu Akintoroye, His Excellency, the Governor of Ondo State has appointed a 3-man Tribunal in respect of the Ifedore Local Government Election held on the 10th of November, 2021, pursuant to Section 88 (4) of the Local Government System Establishment and Administration Law of Ondo State 2006.
Consequent upon this, the Hon Chief Judge of Ondo State, Hon. Justice Williams Akinlolu Akintoroye, has inaugurated the 3-man Panel consisting of a High Court Judge and two Magistrates
A section of the High Court Registry, Akure, has been designated to receive Petitions in respect of the election and transmit same to the Tribunal sitting at Court 5, High Court of Justice, Akure.
Petitioners and/or their legal representatives may therefore wish to approach the registry to file their petitions.
Mrs Bolatito Ajibade
Chief Registrar.
