OYSIEC to refund N250,000, N50,O00 to chairmanship, councillorship candidates


The Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission (OYSIEC) has announced its decision to refund nomination fees paid by candidates contesting in the May, 22 local government elections in the state.

OYSIEC made this known in a statement issued Saturday and signed by the Electoral Commissioner in charge of Voter Education, Prince Afeez Adeniyi, on behalf of the commission .

According to the statement, the Commission is to refund N50,000 each to all the  councillorship candidates and N250,000 to each of the chairmanship candidates as stated on time-table and guidelines released for local government council elections, coming up in the state . 

The statement read, “The commission wishes  to seize this opportunity to  inform the general public and specially political parties  that our attention had just been drawn to the order of Oyo State High Court in Suit No.I/177/2004: NATIONAL CONSCIENCE PARTY V. OYO STATE INDEPENDENT ELECTORAL COMMISSION AND ANOR, delivered on 18th March 2004 to the effect that sections 10 (b) (e) and (f) of the State Independent Electoral Commission Law of Oyo State contravene sections 7 (4), 106 and 107 of the Constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended).”, it said

OYSIEC added, “In the circumstance, the commission hereby cancels payment of nomination fees of N50,000 for Councillorship candidates and N250,000 for Chairmanship candidates (as stated on timetable and guidelines for the election) since the Constitution of Federal Republic takes precedence over any law or bylaws.”

The Commission also hinted of the release of names of screened and qualified chairmanship and councillorship candidates of 17 political parties that signified intentions to participate in the election.

OYSIEC however enjoined all political parties that have signified to participate in the elections to submit the names of their party agents in the polling units, ward,collation centres and Local Government Collation Centres to OYSIEC offices in the 33 local government councils of Oyo state on or before the close of work Tuesday, 19th May, 2021 for further necessary actions on part of the commission.

Reaffirming that elections would take place in the 33 constitutionally recognised local government  in the state from 8am to 3pm , OYSIEC stressed that “there shall be restrictions on human and vehicular movements throughout the time of the election.”

It then tasked “all eligible voters to turn out en masse on the date of election” ,  assuring that their votes will count as the May 22, 2021 announced  by the commission as election date remains intact.

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