•Governor Aiyedatiwa
The Ondo State Independent Electoral Commission has postponed the local government election till July 13, 2024, against the initial date of February 17, 2024.
After the expiration of the term of the past elected chairmen in August 2023, the ODIEC fixed February 17, 2024, for another election to be conducted in the 18 local government areas of the state but the date has been shifted by the commission, reports The PUNCH.
The Commission’s chairman, Joseph Aremo, today, said the postponement was in line with the provisions of extant laws.
The ODIEC boss said the decision to shift the date was to ensure that the election reflects the aspirations of the electorate, noting that the provisions of the election guidelines had not been heeded and as a result, the election had to be postponed.
He said, “We can’t conduct the election for ourselves, we will only conduct the election when parties comply with the guidelines, when we have valid nominations when parties and their candidates turn up for verification and other things that are required as may be specified by our guideline and the enabling laws.
“The commission, having met and appraised this situation, came up with this decision, that the election is further rescheduled as contained in the activity for the conduct of election to the 18 LGAs and 33 LCDAs of Ondo State and that the new election date is for the election into the office of chairmanship and councilorship to be fixed and to be conducted on Saturday, 13th of July, 2024,”
He added that with the new adjustment to the election time table, political parties now have between Monday, May 13 and Monday, June 3, 2024 to conduct their primary elections while submission of forms and list of candidates will close on Tuesday, June 1, 2024, followed by campaigns on Wednesday, June 5, 2024, which would close on midnight of Thursday, July 11, 2024.
The chairman expressed readiness of the commission to conduct free, fair and credible elections for the people of the state.
It was reported that the state House of Assembly had screened and approved the 51 names sent to it by the former governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, to be caretaker LG chairmen and chairmen for the Local Council Development Areas but their inauguration was stopped by a court order preventing them from assuming office.
The matter is still pending in court.
