LG polls : Parties begin  house-to-house campaign

Some lament cash crunch

By jubril Bada

Ahead of the April 18 local government elections in Ondo State, some political parties that indicated their interest to participate in the election have attributed the low key campaign ahead of the poll to cash crunch and the nature of the election.

Nine out of 19 political parties that indicated interest to participate in the forthcoming election fielded candidates into the chairmanship position while the rest presented candidates for the position of councilor.

Since the State Independent Electoral Commission, SIEC, had declared Tuesday January 14  to midnight of Thursday April 16 for the commencement of campaign by political parties, no massive campaign has been observed by political parties in the state.

In separate interviews with The Hope, the All Progressives Congress, APC, the Social Democratic Party, SDP and the Accord Party, AP gave divergent reactions.

Speaking, the State Director, Media and Publicity of the APC, Mr. Steve Otaloro, said the candidates of the party for the position of chairman and councillors across the 18 local governments and the 203 wards respectively engaged in house to house campaign in preparation for the elections.

He assured that the candidates of the party are all campaigning across the length and breath of the state.

The campaign which he said is an intensified process that has started two months ago, stressing that it might not be a big rally just as it has to do with people at the grassroots.

According to him ” Since it is local government election, it might not be so obvious that campaign is going on because it is more or less ward to ward campaign.

“You cannot expect a councillor of a ward to embark on massive campaign rather engage in a house to house campaign”

On his part, the State Chairman of AP, Dr. Ajibola Falaiye, attributed the low campaign by the party ahead of the elections to cash crunch.

The AP chairman lamented financial constraint among the party’s candidates to finance their campaigns in a proper form.

” The problem is cash crunch. People don’t have money to campaign in a proper form.

” Either chairmanship or councillorship candidates are just trying their best to prepare for the election,” he said

Also, the State Chairman of SDP, Chief Korede Duyile pointed out that the party’s candidates were  on the field going about house to house campaign ahead of the election.

Duyile who explained that the party is giving its best said campaign is not all about carrying and beating drums or hire thugs for campaign.

“We are doing the campaign the best way we can. That kind of campaign with hiring thugs to fight does not worth it. he noted