ONDO: 12 Political parties compete for Chairmanship, Councilor positions as election holds across 18 LGAs

The last local council election in the state took place on August 23, 2020, with the tenure of elected officials ending on August 22, 2023.

Since then, the 18 councils have been managed by civil servants, specifically the Heads of Local Government Administrations.

Following multiple postponements, the Ondo State Independent Electoral Commission (ODIEC) scheduled the election for January 18, 2025.

While several political parties were screened and cleared, only 12 will participate in the election.

The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) opted out, citing a lack of confidence in ODIEC’s ability to conduct a credible election.

The 12 participating parties are Action Alliance, Action Democratic Party, Action People’s Party, All Progressives Congress, All Progressives Grand Alliance, Boot Party, Labour Party, National Rescue Party, New Nigeria Peoples Party, Social Democratic Party, Young Progressive Party, and Zenith Labour Party.

ODIEC Chairman Dr. Joseph Aremo assured residents of the commission’s readiness to conduct a smooth election. He noted that ad hoc staff had been successfully recruited and trained and emphasized that adequate security measures were in place, coordinated with relevant agencies.

State Commissioner of Police Wilfred Afolabi confirmed that police would be deployed across the state to ensure security, warning that any attempts to disrupt the election would be met with arrests.

To facilitate voter participation, the state government declared yesterday, January 17, 2025, a work-free day, allowing public servants to travel. Additionally, movement has been restricted statewide between 6 a.m. and 4 p.m.

As of the time of this report, the atmosphere in Akure remains calm. Policemen are stationed at strategic points along major roads to monitor vehicular movement. Business and commercial activities have been suspended in compliance with government directives.