Hon Sikirulai Ogundele, Ogun State PDP Chairman
The last may not have been heard of the recently held local government election in Ogun State as one of the political parties that is unsatisfied with the conduct and outcome of the election has petitioned the National Judicial Council (NJC) to query the professional competence of the Chairman of the state independent electoral commission (OGSIEC), Barrister Babatunde Osibodu.
Dissatisfied with the method allegedly adopted by the state independent electoral commission (OGSIEC) to sideline it in the conduct of the election, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has written to the apex judicial body to investigate the professional qualifications of Barrister Osibodu as a legal practitioner.
Speaking at an exclusive interview session of the Newsmedia National Network in Abeokuta recently, the Chairman of PDP in the state, Honourable Sikirulai Olawale Ogundele disclosed that his party doubts the qualification of Barrister Osibodu as a lawyer and so has written to NJC to help probe his authenticity as a legal practitioner.
Honourable Ogundele said his party’s doubt of Barrister Osibodu’s credibility stemmed from the role he played during the just conducted local government election in the state.
He noted that the same petition has been sent to the Nigerian Bar Association as his party, the PDP was sure the OGSIEC chairman did not pass through the Nigerian Law School.
He alleged that Barrister Osibodu was only ‘his master’s voice’ in umpiring the election, alleging that he deliberately misinterpreted an extant judgement of a competent court of law in order to sideline the PDP and favor the All Progressives Congress (APC), which Honourable Ogundele claimed sent him on the mission.
Honourable Ogundele opined that the chairman of OGSIEC could not have been a creditable lawyer and misread such a clear judgment.
He said his party has got wind of OGSIEC’s wiles in conjunction with the APC long before the election and so decided to boycott the election to avoid the disgrace planned for the PDP through release of hatched election results.
