Ondo Government stops NULGE election

Mimiko

The Ondo State government has stopped the elections of the state Chapter of the Nigerian Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), the Local Government Pension Board (LGPB) and Local Government Staff Loans Board (LGSLB scheduled to hold yesterday.

DailyPost gathered that the government decision was not unconnected with the security reports which did not favour the conduct of two branches of the union elections.

It would be recalled that last Tuesday, the group under the aegis of Merit Group 2013 petitioned the State Local Government Service Commission (LGSC) not to allow the elections of the two branches of the union to hold, on the ground that the term of the State Executive which was supposed to conduct the election had expired, hence, it does not have the constitutional right to conduct any election .

At the premises of the LGSC, the supposed venue of the elections, there were presence of heavily armed policemen and men of the State Security Service (SSS), who were deployed there to ensure that no election was held and to forestall violence.

Reacting to the development, the Administrative Secretary of LGSC, Mrs Odunayo Ketiku who confirmed that the election was scheduled to hold but the government had to stop it because they were two groups who have not agreed on the election said she had met with the stakeholders

“There are two groups that were interested in the election, one wanted the election to hold while the other did not. If the election is allowed to hold, it may turn into violence, which the government doesn’t want. That is why it has ordered for the suspension of the election until the issues are settled ” Ketiku explained

On a contrary, the State Executive of the Union has vowed to conduct the election yesterday, if the government could not convince it with cogent reason why the election was stopped .

Speaking with journalists, the Secretary of the Union, Mr Olu Soyele said there was going to be a Stakeholders meeting with State Head of Service later in the day.

He noted that there was no reasonable threat to the conduct of the election, adding that the election would be definitely hold today.

“We are having a meeting with the state Head of Service in the office by 4pm today and if there is no reasonable threat to the conduct of the election, we will have our election tomorrow by the special grace of God” Soyele declared .

Meanwhile, the Merit Group, Comrade Omoloye Steve, has vowed that the LGSLB and LGPB elections would not hold in as much as the Comrade Ayo Omoregie-led Executive, whose term has allegedly expired on 10th of August would conduct the election .

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