The Ondo State Independent Electoral Commission (ODIEC) has announced a new date for the local government elections across the state.
Initially planned for July 13, 2024, the elections will now be held on January 18, 2025.
Dr. Joseph Aremo, Chairman of ODIEC, disclosed the updated schedule during a Stakeholders’ meeting at the Commission’s headquarters in Akure, the Ondo State capital.
He clarified that the elections had not been canceled but were postponed due to political parties’ non-compliance with electoral guidelines.
Dr. Aremo emphasized that the decision to delay the elections was necessary to avoid further rescheduling, stating that ODIEC is committed to conducting free, fair, and transparent elections.
He called on political parties that had completed their primaries before the postponement to submit validated lists of candidates to the commission.
The continuation of election-related activities has also been outlined by ODIEC.
Key dates include the completion of party primaries and candidate validation from November 25 to December 7, 2024, and the submission of candidate particulars by December 9, 2024.
Political parties will have the opportunity to substitute candidates between December 12 and December 13, with the collection and submission of nomination forms scheduled for December 16 to December 18.
Campaigns will commence on December 23, 2024, and will conclude at midnight on January 16, 2025.
Distribution of non-sensitive election materials to the 18 local government areas is slated for 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 and pledged that political parties would cooperate to ensure the smooth conduct of the elections.
