By Yemi Badru
This is indeed a challenging time for Hashim Abioye, Chairman of Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSSIEC). It is the time of hot politics, name calling, blackmail, suspicion, blame game and bulk-passing. It is so because the date of Osun State Local Governemnt Elections is fast approaching and expectedly, the political actors will play their game inherent in blackmail, sentiments, fabrications and baseless condemnations. These are handy and dangerous tools in the hands of some desperate polticians by which some political actors manipulate and foul the system. By this action, those who crave undue favour from the public believe they would always have their way.
Since his assumption of Office, Hashim Abioye Esq, of Iyalode Compound, Isale Afo, Ikirun in Osun State has done so much in steering the leadership of the Osun State Local Government Election Management Body, that is OSSIEC. With nothing on ground at the Commission at the time the Commission was constituted in November, 2023 by Governor Ademola Adeleke, the young, not-heavily built in body man has changed the tides and woes of OSSIEC from negativity to positivity. The premises of the Commission were a jungle before the present leadership came on board, but today, the environment is now breathing fresh air of infrastucrutal facelift. The staff were almost scattered before Hashim took the mantle of leadership, but today it is an eldorado borne out of administative acumen and quality leadership of Mr. Chairman.
Hashim Abioye is so tender and kind that he is ready at any time to bend the rules without breaking the law at all. He has been good to everyone; the leadrship of Osun Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) saw his transparency, honesty and sincerity, they resolved and absolved him of all the allegations against him, and they are now giving him 100 percent support.
There are some pieces and crumbs on the social media regarding Abioye’s alleged partisanship. His poster when he was in the trenches as a political party candidate in 2019 vying for Osun State House of Assembly for his Ifelodun constituency has been a baby being showcased around by desperate politicians even in official media releases in a desperate bid to bolster their sentimental ego. What a world! The allegations are mere fabrications laced with sentiments and wicked blackmail. What can a man do? After he had effectively resigned his membership of the PDP to which he hitherto belonged, after he had won an application challenging his eligibility to head OSSIEC in court? When his actions since he became Chairman of OSSIEC have been that of a transparent and an unbiased umpire? What again!
The recent development in the activities of the Commission vis-a-vis some political parties after the release of the report of the Verification Committee is a case of the owl that refuses to flock alongside other birds in the daylight, now blaming other birds for condemning it to night escapades permanently. Who will change the fortune of the owl! The latest of this wicked blackmail and sentiment is the position being desperately pushed by a political party in Osun State; wanting to withdraw and substitute where they never had the candidates they sponsored on the nomination forms submitted to OSSIEC till the period of close of nomination. What could Hashim Abioye do in the circumstance?. To bend the rules, YES, but to break the law, NO! The issue of withdrawal can only arise when there is nomination in the first place, in a situation where there was no nomination, the rule of withdrawal/substitution does not apply.
Those who were not cleared by the Verification Committee whose report the Commission considered and adopted, on account of non-production of some documents like academic credentials, evidence of tax clearance, birth or age declaration and evidence of payment of nomination fees are to regularise their position, that is bending the rule, which Hashim Abioye-led Commission has magnanimously allowed, while those who were not cleared on account of void nomination because nomination forms were given to and filled by those who were not on the list of candidates submitted by the affected political parties would have to bear the consequences, as there was no notice of withdrawal/substitution submitted to the Commission as at the time of close of nominations when strangers emerged on the nomination forms as against those submitted to the Commission in the party lists. Hashim Abioye that I know will not break the law in this regard. For the spits in Abioye’s face and the trash being thrown at him by his detractors and desperate accussers, especially those whom Abioye gave forms on credit so as for gate of nomination not to be shut against them, but who are now the loudest voices against him, he has taken all of that as challenges and bends of leadership which he is navigating with resilience, determination, patience, light and wisdom of God Almighty.
Yemi Badru is the Press Secretary to OSSIEC Chairman.