SPN made the call on Friday in a statement issued by its Oyo State chapter secretary, Ayodeji Adigun.
The Socialist Party of Nigeria (SPN) has called on workers in Oyo State to resist what it described as anti-people policies of the state governor, Seyi Makinde.
SPN made the call on Friday in a statement issued by its Oyo State chapter secretary, Ayodeji Adigun.
It rejected the re-election of Governor Makinde, saying it was not the decision of the majority of the people of the state.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Governor Makinde of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) winner of last Saturday’s governorship election in the state after polling a total of 563,756 votes.
According to SPN, results announced by the INEC show that the total number of votes cast in the election is just about 889,592 out of 3.27 million total registered voters in the state.
“This shows that just about 27 percent of the eligible voters actually participated in the election. As far as we are concerned, the outcome of an election which was boycotted by over 70 percent of the electorate cannot be said to be the decision of the majority,” it said.
It further urged the working people of the state to be united and prepared to resist the anti-people policies of Makinde’s government.
The statement said, “The Socialist Party of Nigeria, SPN, Oyo State Chapter rejects the false impression and erroneous belief that the re-election of Engr Seyi Makinde as the Governor of Oyo State having secured 563,756 votes in the March 18th gubernatorial election is the decision of vast majority of the Oyo State working people.
“According to the results as announced by the INEC, the total figure of votes cast in the election is just about 889,592 out of 3.27 million total registered voters in the State. This shows that just about 27 percent of the eligible voters actually participated in the election. As far as we are concerned, the outcome of an election which was boycotted by over 70 percent of the electorate cannot be said to be the decision of the majority!”
SPN said the turnout of Oyo state electorates on March 18 can only be best described as a vote of no-confidence against all the “pro-capitalist politicians including re-elected Governor Makinde that participated in the election”, adding that this is more so when there was a decline in the turnout percentage from 30 percent in the 2019 election.
“Again, that the 563,756 votes scored by Makinde are equivalent to just 17.2% of the registered voters doesn’t show that he is the true choice of the mass majority of the working people and youth in the state. Rather, it suggests mass discontent against his anti-people policies and actions.
“Therefore, it’s very likely the outcome of the election could have been different if there was a pro-people politician with a genuine mass alternative to him at the poll.
SPN noted that “the introduction of the so-called N30,000 drilling permit fee by the Makinde-led government a few months ago for boreholes is a glimpse of what could be the overall fate of the working people in its second term in office”.
It said, “Again, the 80% slash in the subvention for all the tertiary institutions in the state, delay in the payment of salary against the 25th of every month promised by the Governor, non-remittance of cooperative deductions and check-off due including planned handing over of the Government College Ibadan, GCI, to Wale Babalakin-led old boys Association are clear indications that Makinde’s second term could not be trusted for an adequate defence and satisfaction of the interest of the mass of the working people in the state.
“Therefore, we call on the mass of the working people particularly the Nigeria Labour Congress, (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) in the state to begin to prepare for the struggle to resist the anti-people policies that await the mass of the working people in the second term of Makinde-led government."