Frowns against conduct of council polls
BY TIMOTHY AGBOR, OSOGBO
A human right lawyer, Kanmi Ajibola has filed a fresh suit, asking the Osun State High Court to stop the State House of Assembly from amending the state’s electoral law.
Members of the Osun State House of Assembly had last week announced their readiness to amend the state’s electoral law after its second reading at the floor of the House.
But Ajibola noted that there was a pending lawsuit with No. HIL/M.66/17 instituted by him in 2017 challenging the constitutionality of the “State of Osun Local Government Law” which the state lawmakers are now planning to amend.
According to him, constitutionally and in line with some court judgements already obtained, there is nothing called the “State of Osun Assembly” or the “State of Osun Law…” being brandished by the present government in the state.
The former Chairman of Nigeria Bar Association, Ilesa Branch in the new case filed on Tuesday, urged the court to stop the lawmakers from tampering with the law already before it for consideration as such will be taken as prejudicial.
Ajibola who attached a 35-paragraph affidavits to his fresh suit joined the state governor, Gboyega Oyetola, the Osun Independent Electoral Commission, All Progressives Congress, Peoples Democratic Party, Social Democratic Party, Labour Party and seven other political parties as defendants.
He also prayed the court to stop OSIEC from conducting local government election pending the determination of the suit.
In his earlier suit, Ajibola had raised a constitutional question against the use “State of Osun” not only by the Assembly but also in the state controversial electoral law.
Besides, he alleged in the said matter that all the members appointed into OSIEC were members of the ruling All Progressives Congress.
While insinuating in his affidavits that OSIEC was planning to conduct election any time from now till November 26, 2022, he asked the court to grant six interlocutory orders against the respondents.
Some of his prayers included an order stopping the lawmakers from amending the state electoral law, an order stopping the governor, Adegboyega Oyetola from assenting the amended law and an order stopping the OSIEC from conducting any local government election pending the determination of the suit.
