Ondo State LG Poll holds.

– Steve Ovirih.

The third tier of the Federation, the local government structure is a component of the Federal Government in Nigeria, constitutionally. However, several states of the Federation have until recently backed down on allowing the growth of democracy in the grassroots by proactively supporting the electoral procedure which makes possible legislative and executive governance in the third tier of the Federal state. According to data made available to thepolity. net ,fifty percent of the component states of Nigeria had in the past eight years appointed Caretaker Chairmen to coordinate the administration of the Local Government councils alongside some other appointed supervisory councillors, meaning that the Democratic process in the grassroots had been stifled and battered. The support for Local Government Autonomy by the Federal Government has in a way revived political interests in the grassroots and encouraged Local Government Administration through mass participation and voting of political actors into elective position in the Local Councils.

Ondo State Government under the administration of Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Odunayo Akeredolu announced over two months ago that in line with the Democratic norms, his Government will be ensuring the activation of grassroots politics through the election into Democratic structure of the third tier. The Ondo State Independent Electoral Commission (ODIEC) through the office of the Chairman, Prof. Yomi Dinakin rolled out the time table and political campaign resumed across the 18 local government areas of Ondo State.

Today, August 22nd, people in the grassroots will file out to elect their Local Government Council Chairmen and Councillors. At the end of the exercise today, barring all unforseen circumstances, Ondo State Government would have broken the jinx of running the third tier of government with the State Government selected political office holders, an abberation frowned at by the Constitution of the Federal Republic.

However, the major political opposition in Ondo State, Peoples Democratic party (PDP) has voted to withdraw its participation from the exercise holding today, citing loss of faith in the process. Be that as it may, at least ten other political parties have shown interest and will be participating in the exercise.

When the polity.net moved round the State during the week to feel people’s pulse about the Local Government Poll billed for Saturday, August 22nd, it was observed that the party in Power, All Progressives Congress was not leaving anything to chance as they believe that other parties who believe in the ethos of Democracy in the grassroots will participate in the poll.

On Thursday, APC stalwarts both in Okitipupa and Ilaje Local Councils held massive rallies to drum support for the Council Chairmen hopefuls of the two council areas respectively: Igbekele Akinrinwa and Goke Dickson Jatuase.

Also in Akoko East, the Honourable Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs . Titi Adeyemi led APC supporters to hold rallies at Isua, Ifira, Epinmi , Sosan and Ipe wards all scattered around Akoko South East Local Government.

It will be recalled that the last Local Government Council election held in Ondo State was under the administration of Gov. Olusegun Agagu. Thus, the incumbent, reactivating this electoral process, though few months to another gubernatorial process in the state, deserves commendation. However, members of the opposition do not see the gesture as such. Some who spoke under the condition of anonimity with our reporter threw a jibe at the government effort, describing it as “data collection” ahead of the Governorship contest in October . Members of the opposition stressed that while Local Government election is proper, the timing is awkward and suspect, noting that the process ought to have been concluded long time ago; more reason why they are backing out. Are they right to back out? Posterity will make a judgement on that! Only that if they had participated, it would have been easier for bookmakers to assess the level of their preparedness for the real political contest for the mantle of leadership in Ondo state come October 10th , 2020.

While speaking on a Programme monitored by our online news medium, Prof Dinakin, the ODIEC boss said all logistics have been put in place to ensure that the Local Government poll runs smoothly , maintaining that all non sensitive materials have been distributed ahead of the Saturday polls while Ad hoc staff have been trained and retrained.

By Sunday, when the exercise would have been deemed completed and results announced, a new lease of life would have been given to the third tier of public administration in Ondo State as Democratic governance will be taking off again after a very long lull in the grassroots.