“Labour Party Pulls Out of Osun LG Election Over Security Fears”

The Osun State chapter of the Labour Party (LP) has officially withdrawn from the local government elections scheduled for Saturday, citing concerns over inadequate security arrangements for the polls.

Adebayo Bello, the State Chairman of LP, made the announcement on Friday in Osogbo, explaining that the party could not participate in the election due to the lack of proper security measures put in place by the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSSIEC). He further called for the postponement of the election for one to two months, urging the electoral body to address the security issues and resolve any legal complications before proceeding with the poll.

Bello stated, “We believe that postponing the election will give OSSIEC enough time to ensure proper preparations and guarantee a secure environment for the voters and candidates.”

In support of this position, one of the party’s chairmanship candidates, Oyebode Babalola, expressed deep concerns over the potential disruption of the election. Babalola emphasized that although the party was fully prepared for the election, it could not risk participating under the current security circumstances.

“We have seen troubling signs that the election might be disrupted, and we are not willing to put the lives of our supporters and citizens in danger,” Babalola explained. He echoed the call for the election to be postponed, stressing the need for sufficient security to safeguard the election process.

As the party withdraws from the election, it remains to be seen how the situation will affect the overall election planning and whether the authorities will heed the call for a postponement.