By Dayo Johnson, Akure

The opposition People’s Democratic Party, PDP, in Ondo state, has given reasons why it would participate in the December, this year’s local government election in the state.

Giving the reasons in Akure, the state chairman of the party, Fatai Adams, said in Akure, the state capital, that the third tier of government in the state has been paralysed under the APC administration in the state.

Adams said that the local government in the state ” only serve as a salary payment agency of the State Government, rather than serving the grassroot people as enshrined in the 1999 Nigerian Constitution (as amended).

According to him ” Our resolve to participate is to reverse the uneventful and uninspiring narratives. It is to restore the lost glory of local government administration and its pride.

” Gone are the days when local government administration under the PDP was alive to its constitutional responsibilities.

He added that ” Gone are the days when local governments embarked on construction of rural roads, markets and other social amenities at the grassroots. Gone are the days when capable and tested hands were in charge of government at the grassroots.

” It is against this background that our party will participate in the Local Government Election, so as to bring development to the grassroots again, as it was under previous PDP administrations.

“This resolve is deliberate and we are conscious of the agenda of Governor Rotimi Akeredolu to continue to muzzle the local government administrations by foisting his stooges on the people.

“We can therefore gauge his temperature and the mood of the APC as well as the inconveniences this our resolve may cause its members who erroneously see local government as their cash cow, being the reward for their hypocrisy and sycophancy to the Governor.

” This time around, APC will be resisted by the grassroot people who have been bearing the brunt of inept, colourless, unenviable, dry and retrogressive governance at that very important layer of government.

“We are however using this opportunity to call on the ODIEC to perform its role as an impartial arbiter which should not rob Peter to pay Paul.

“We are passionately appealing to the Chairman and other members of the Commission to always act on the side of the people bearing in mind that their Commission is being financed by the tax payers’ money and not from the APC government which merely appointed them.

“They should ensure utmost transparency of the electoral process, exhibit decency, decorum and discipline that is expected of their high offices and not compromise for any self-serving or pecuniary gains so that posterity will be kind to them at the end of the day.

“We are assuring you and the general public that we are prepared to participate in the electoral contest with the fervent hope that the Governor and his APC will allow the Commission to perform its role without undue interference and interruptions.

Adams added that ” As a party, we have put necessary machinery in motion which will culminate in our electoral victory at the polls and we are participating to win by the grace of God.