The Speaker of the Ogun State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Olakunle Oluomo says strengthening the nation’s electoral process at the local government level depends on the sustainability of transparent and all-inclusive electoral policies by the State Independent Electoral Commissions (SIECs) to allow for an enabling environment and a level playing field for all contending political parties and contestants to freely exercise their franchise.
To this end, the Chairman and member-designates of the State Electoral Commission nominated by the State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun have been tasked to further entrench democratic practices towards restoring confidence on the State Independent Electoral Commission for the people to have faith in the electoral process at the grassroot level irrespective of political leanings.
Olumo gave the charge while presiding over the screening of the nominees held at the Assembly Complex, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, with commendation to the Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun for the selection of people with vast experience in electoral matters, public administration including educationists as well as Information and Communication Technology expert amongst others.
The Speaker, who sought for the conduct of free, fair and credible council polls, noted that the nominees were expected to justify the confidence reposed in them by being transparent, fair and just to all concern stakeholders in the local government elections.
Other lawmakers who took turn to give their remarks on the nominations shortly after examining the credentials of the nominees, tasked them to help restructure the Commission if confirmed and subsequently sworn in by the Governor with a view to promoting good governance by being a viable, effective, and efficient electoral body.
Responding on behalf of other nominees, the Chairman-designate, Mr. Babatunde Osibodu, harped on the importance of independence of the electoral body, assuring the lawmakers of instituting credible values by bringing in probity, excellent service delivery, while making credible elections its hallmark towards retaining the State as a model for others.
Promising to devise measures towards addressing issues often associated with elections in relations to environmental peculiarities, the nominees promised to put in place apolitical policies in its system of electoral administration taking advantage of information and communication technology to achieve desired result.
Other nominee members for theState Independent Electoral Commission screened are Mr. Olatunji Isaac Akoni, Mr. Tajudeen Soyeolu Omolaja, Mr. Ayodele Bankole and Mrs. Gbemi Onasanya.
