The appointment of Barrister Hashim Abioye as the Chairman of the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission, OSIEC, has drawn condemnation from The Osun Masterminds (TOM) group.
Governor Ademola Adeleke, with the state House of Assembly’s approval, appointed Abioye, who serves as his Special Adviser on Legal Matters.
Speaking in Osogbo, the state capital, Prof. Wasiu Oyedokun-Alli, the Executive Director of TOM, expressed the group’s disapproval of the appointment.
Oyedokun-Alli emphasized the expectation for the government to act fairly and set a positive precedent for successive administrations, stressing the need for decisions that uphold morality and avoid anarchy and illegality.
The group voiced concerns about the potential partiality brought about by Abioye’s appointment and its implications for the conduct of upcoming local government elections.
It raised apprehensions about the capacity for the conduct of free, fair, and credible local government elections under Abioye’s leadership, citing his previous partisan engagements.
TOM pointed out the contradiction between the requirement for neutrality in the conduct of elections and Abioye’s overt partisanship, given his previous role as the Special Adviser (Legal) to the Governor, a position attributed to his membership in the Peoples Democratic Party.
The group used thought-provoking rhetoric to emphasize the potential reactions and implications if the roles were reversed, underscoring the importance of fairness and impartiality in all political processes.
TOM drew attention to the 2022 Local Government elections conducted by the Oyetola government, using it as a reference to showcase the significance of transparent and fair electoral conduct, calling for consistent and unwavering fairness in all electoral procedures.
Furthermore, the group expressed its apprehensions about the state Assembly’s unwavering support for the decisions made by the Executive, cautioning against the implications of becoming mere rubber stamps at the expense of the state’s well-being.
The group urged the Assembly to resist being a mere “House of yes-men” and avoid blindly endorsing critical mistakes made by the Executive, while vehemently condemning Abioye’s appointment and highlighting the potential ramifications of perpetuating such decisions in the future.
TOM underscored the need for the Adeleke government to avoid setting a detrimental precedent and stressed the importance of leaving a positive legacy.
