The Ondo State Independent Electoral Commission (ODIEC) has announced that local government elections across the state’s 18 local government areas and 203 wards will be held on January 18, 2025.
This new date was disclosed by the Chairman of the Commission, Dr. Joseph Aremo, during a stakeholders’ meeting at the ODIEC headquarters in Akure, the state capital.
The elections, initially rescheduled for July 13, 2024, were later postponed indefinitely due to the non-compliance of political parties with electoral guidelines and processes.
Dr. Aremo clarified that the elections were never canceled but rescheduled to ensure proper adherence to the rules. He emphasized that the postponement was necessary, as the Commission could no longer continue with frequent rescheduling.
Dr. Aremo assured Ondo State residents of ODIEC’s commitment to conducting free, fair, and credible elections, promising a transparent electoral process.
Political parties that had already conducted primaries before the postponement were urged to submit their validated list of candidates to the Commission. The continuation of electoral activities will include the completion of party primaries and candidate validation between November 25 and December 7, 2024.
December 9, 2024, has been set as the deadline for political parties to submit forms and the list of candidates. The substitution of candidates, if necessary, will take place from December 12 to December 13, while the collection and submission of nomination forms will occur between December 16 and December 18, 2024.
Campaigns by political parties are scheduled to commence on December 23, 2024, and will conclude at midnight on January 16, 2025. Additionally, the distribution of non-sensitive materials to the 18 local governments is set to take place from January 6 to January 10, 2025.
Olaoluwa Adesanya, Chairman of the Ondo State chapter of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), expressed satisfaction with ODIEC’s preparations for the upcoming elections, as outlined by Dr. Aremo.
