Ahead of the Ondo State Local Government Council election scheduled for Saturday, January 18, the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state has announced its withdrawal from the poll.

The development is contained in a statement issued by the State PDP Director of Media and Publicity, Leye Igbabo who said the party took the decision after wide consultations with stakeholders.

According to Igbabo, the party claims that the Ondo State Independent Electoral Commission (ODIEC) cannot be trusted to conduct a free and fair election.

The statement reads, “This decision is a product of several layers of consultations of party leaders, stakeholders and the national secretariat of our great party.

“Our party fielded 15 chairmanship candidates in 15 local government areas and 131 councillorship candidates. But, from all indications, ODIEC’s credibility, transparency, and impartiality have failed the integrity test.

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“Recent observations and reports point to a troubling pattern of double standards by ODIEC, raising serious doubts about their ability to conduct a free, fair, and credible election.

“The party cannot, in good conscience, confer legitimacy on a compromised process by participating in the election. This withdrawal is in line with our stance on integrity.

“We have, therefore, resolved to withdraw our participation in this exercise to uphold the integrity of our party and our unwavering belief in credible electoral practices.”