It is bemusing that the All Progressive Congress in Oyo State, after the Supreme Court judgement on the removal of local government council chairmen by Governor Seyi Makinde, threw itself in a state of euphoria, celebrating victory in the apex court verdict. It is bemusing because, just like the proverbial character who was asked to say ‘Kati” but denounced the instruction by saying ‘I can’t say any Kati’kati,’ the APC in Oyo State, by celebrating the Supreme Court verdict is not just saying Kati’kati but ingloriously doing so with fanfare.
In the first instance, anyone who has been following the issue would readily remember that the take off position of Governor Makinde was his offer to the sacked APC chairmen to pay them off for the remaining period of their terms in office, but which the council chairmen flatly rejected. Secondly, the Supreme Court verdict is not markedly different from what the Appeal Court ruled on the matter which is to the effect that whereas in the face of the law the governor did not have the locus to sack the local government chiefs, but be that as it may, it was not possible to ask the chairmen to be returned to their seats.
So, it is ludicrous that the sacked chairmen and the APC would find victory in what Governor Makinde had offered to them ab-initio and again, in a verdict that is merely a reinforcement of what the Appeal Court had ruled upon. Had the Supreme Court not been the final court of arbitration, it is almost certain that the APC would have appealed the ruling. It is thus certain that the decision of the party to find victory in the ruling is merely to cover its shame. Minders of the party know quite well that there is no victory worthy of celebrating in the Supreme Court ruling.
In the contrary, however, they know that acknowledging defeat from the judiciary on the matter would mean that the APC in the state has exhausted all potential instruments it can deploy to frustrate the plan of the state government to conduct a new local government election which is already scheduled for May 22 – just few days away. So, to buy some breaths for its dying soul, the APC must claim a phantom victory and use that as a soapbox to make some ridiculous demands aimed at further discrediting the upcoming election in the state.
It is in that context that one can make an understanding of the notion being mulled by the APC, calling for a postponement of the local government election in Oyo State.
Now, the same APC which has vehemently discountenanced all pleas to renege its vow of not participating in the local government election is the same now begging to be a party in the exercise.
Whether or not the Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission (OYSIEC) would oblige of the request by the APC is subject to the administrative convenience of the election management body. But the fact that needs to be stressed is that the APC in Oyo State has shot itself at the foot with its obstinate position of boycotting the local government election in Oyo State.
The state chairman of the APC, Chief Akin Oke, while addressing the media on the concern of the party to be a late comer in the parties participating in the election said that the new position of the party is based on the outcome of the Supreme Court judgement. But, really, what manner of political indiscretion would make a political party decline its participation in an election relying on the outcome of a judicial process? Since the APC is claiming victory in the Supreme Court verdict, it is pertinent to ask the party what portion of the court’s verdict was instrumental for its sudden change of mind to partake in the upcoming local government election. Is it the part that the sacked chairmen can no longer return to their seats or the ruling that the state government should pay them off of the remainder of their tenure in office?
Against repeated vows by the Chairman of OYSIEC that the election would be free and fair, the APC continued to double down on its rejection of the election. This is not because the integrity of the OYSIEC was in question or that they feared Governor Makinde would manipulate the outcome of the election. The main reason is that the APC is scared of its own shadows knowing full well how they compromised the integrity of a similar exercise during the tenure of the immediate past administration.
And, to that extent, if other political parties have spent time and resources preparing for the local government election in Oyo State on the schedule date of May 22, suspending the election on the call of just one political party would reflect negatively on the notion of impartiality that is required of the election umpire.
Sanni sent this piece from Ibadan
