The All Progressives Congress, APC, has criticised the recently passed Osun State Integrated Transport, Traffic and Park Management System Bill, describing it as unconstitutional and calling for its immediate withdrawal.

The party made its position known in a statement issued on Thursday and signed by its Director of Media and Information, Kola Olabisi.

The Osun Assembly passed the bill on Wednesday after consideration and adoption of the relevant committee report and third reading. 

The proposed legislation seeks to establish an integrated framework for the registration, regulation, management and digital administration of commercial transport, traffic, motor parks, terminals, garages and loading points. 

A major provision of the bill is the introduction of a digitalised ticketing system intended to eliminate multiple ticketing in motor parks, while improving transparency and efficiency in transport-related revenue collection. 

However, the APC argued that the state lacks the constitutional authority to directly regulate and manage motor parks, insisting that such responsibilities fall within the functions of local government councils.

The party said, “Your Bill on Integrated Transport, Traffic and Park Management is a legislative harakiri, unenforceable and a recipe for crisis. We urge the lawmakers to withdraw the legislation.”

The APC also argued that Section 7(1) of the 1999 Constitution, read alongside the Fourth Schedule, assigns local government councils functions including the establishment, maintenance and regulation of motor parks. 

The Fourth Schedule expressly lists motor parks among facilities within local government functions. 

According to the party, “the proposed legislation could therefore conflict with constitutional provisions if it seeks to transfer direct control and revenue collection relating to motor parks to the state government.”

The APC referred to Governor Ademola Adeleke’s earlier efforts concerning motor park management, alleging that the proposed legislation could provide another route for the state government to achieve what it described as an unconstitutional takeover.

“We won’t fail to impress it on Governor Ademola Adeleke that his administration could not now access or achieve the illegality through his obnoxious and repugnant Motor Parks Management Bill,” the statement said.

The opposition party also urged the House of Assembly to concentrate on legislation that would support governance without creating what it described as avoidable conflict, saying, “The duty of the state House of Assembly is to embark on making productive and legal laws.”

The APC called for the immediate withdrawal of the bill, describing such action as being in the interest of peace in Osun State. 

It also maintained that where a state law conflicts with the Constitution, constitutional provisions take precedence, while urging lawmakers to reconsider the legislation before it proceeds further through the assent process.