The Labour Party in Oyo State said it has a chance of winning the forthcoming local government election in the state.

 The state party chairman, Sadiq Atayese, disclosed this while speaking in Ibadan on Sunday.

 Mr Atayese alleged that the citizens had lost hope in the ruling party to transform the socio-economic situation of the state, thereby ready to give LP a chance.

He said, “The Labour Party is in a better position to win the coming local government election massively because the majority of the people in the state have been disoriented with the party currently in government. People are craving an alternative and LP represents the party they are looking for. Without vote buying, rigging and thuggery, the chances of our party in the forthcoming local government election are high. Our aim is to have a significant impact on the people. So, we are taking the coming election very seriously. Our candidates are carefully selected for impact and performance when elected; we are ready for the election and sure of winning.’’

The chairman urged the public to turn out for the election, declaring that the Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission promised to be fair and just to all.

According to him, apart from the love of the people for the party, LP will be relying on the commitment and promises made by OYSIEC.

“OYSIEC has engaged in media activities to enlighten the public on its commitment to a transparent election and, of course, making categorical statements that the votes of every electorate will count; and we believe them,” he said.

Mr Atayese, however, condemned how money politics and vote buying continued to take centre stage in Nigeria’s political activities.

He alleged that some candidates had shown by their conduct during political campaigns that a good party manifesto and integrity of candidates were no longer sufficient to guarantee electoral success.

He emphasised that money politics, aside from being a stain on public policy and the electoral process, could also be dangerous to the democratic process of electing officers and in turn, prevent good governance.

 On the inability of OYSIEC to provide the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, he said political parties had evaluated the consequences and agreed on other measures to protect the election’s integrity.

 OYSIEC will conduct elections across the 33 local government areas in the state on Saturday with candidates contesting for chairmanship and councillorship positions.

(NAN)