ZLP Condemns Osun LG Election as Illegitimate: Ballot Papers Without Party Logos Cannot Confer Victory on APC
ZLP Condemns Osun LG Election as Illegitimate: Ballot Papers Without Party Logos Cannot Confer Victory on APC
The Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), Osun State Chapter, has strongly condemned the Appeal Court’s ruling on the October 15, 2022, local government election in Osun State, describing the process as constitutionally flawed and lacking in democratic credibility. In a statement signed by the State Chairman, Comrade & Engr. John Olufemi Adesuyi, the party highlighted that the ballot papers used in the election bore no party logos, making it impossible to attribute votes to any political party and rendering the entire process invalid under the Electoral Act 2022.
Full Statement Reads!
PRESS RELEASE
By Comrade & Engr. John Olufemi Adesuyi
State Chairman, Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), Osun State Chapter
HEADLINE:
Appeal Court Judgment on Osun LG: Ballot Papers Without Party Logos Cannot Confer Victory on APC
The Friday Appeal Court judgment on the Osun State local government matter has once again brought to light the illegitimacy surrounding the 15th October 2022 local government election conducted by the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSIEC).
It is important to remind the public that the ballot papers used in the said election bore no party logos — not of the APC, PDP, ZLP, or any of the fourteen participating political parties. The ballot paper was designed in a “YES or NO” format, which made it practically impossible to attribute votes cast to any political party.
Therefore, it is misleading for the APC to claim ownership of those votes. The truth is that the votes could have been cast by supporters of the ZLP, PDP, or any other political party. The absence of party logos invalidates the claim of partisan victory and is a gross violation of the Electoral Act 2022, which makes clear provisions for party identification and transparency in the voting process.
Furthermore, when the legality of holding the election was challenged before the election date, two political parties — APM (Allied Peoples Movement) and APGA (All Progressives Grand Alliance) — went to court in support of APC’s position to allow the election to proceed. But ironically, neither APC’s logo nor theirs appeared on the ballot. This anomaly exposes the flawed nature of the process and strengthens the argument that the entire exercise lacked transparency, fairness, and constitutional compliance.
As ongoing cases now progress to the Supreme Court of Nigeria, it is crucial for the judiciary to take into account this clear violation of democratic norms. The 15th October 2022 election cannot be validated when the fundamental principle of party identity was denied to the electorate.
The ZLP stands firm in defending the rule of law, the sanctity of the ballot, and the right of every voter to make informed choices based on identifiable party platforms.
—
ADDENDUM
We wish to state categorically that the authority of the 15th October 2022 local government election remains under serious judicial scrutiny. The ongoing Supreme Court proceedings are pivotal to determining whether such an election — conducted without party logos on the ballot and in violation of statutory provisions — can stand in the eyes of the law.
The people of Osun State, and indeed Nigerians at large, must be reassured that democracy cannot be built on illegality or administrative shortcuts. The judiciary has the sacred duty to restore credibility to our electoral system and to ensure that no party hides under technicalities to rob the people of their right to genuine representation.
The ZLP remains committed to democratic accountability and calls on the federal government, particularly President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to desist from encouraging nepotism, arrogance, and fiscal rascality by continuing to withhold Osun State local government funds for over seven months. Such actions undermine the spirit of federalism and the rights of grassroots governance.
Signed:
Comrade & Engr. John Olufemi Adesuyi
State Chairman, Zenith Labour Party (ZLP)
Osun State Chapter
