THE Ondo State Independent Electoral Commission (ODIEC) has announced that elections across the state’s 18 local government areas and 203 wards will take place on January 18, 2025.
This new date was disclosed by the Commission’s Chairman, Dr Joseph Aremo, during a stakeholders’ meeting at the Commission’s headquarters in Akure, the state capital.
Previously, the elections were set for July 13, 2024, but were subsequently postponed indefinitely.
Dr Aremo clarified that the elections were not cancelled but rescheduled due to political parties’ failure to comply with electoral guidelines and procedures.
Aremo explained that ...ponement was necessary, as the Commission was weary of ongoing rescheduling.
He assured state residents that ODIEC is fully prepared to conduct free, fair, and credible elections, emphasising the transparency of the process.
He called on political parties that had completed their primaries before ...ponement to submit their validated candidate lists to the Commission.
Aremo also detailed the schedule for the remaining election activities, noting that political parties will complete their primaries and validate candidates from November 25 to December 7, 2024.
December 9, 2024, will be the deadline for submitting candidate particulars and lists by political parties.
The substitution of candidates by political parties is set for December 12 to December 13, with the collection and submission of nomination forms from December 16 to December 18.
Political campaigns will begin on December 23, 2024, and conclude at midnight on January 16, 2025.
The distribution of non-sensitive materials to the 18 local governments will occur from January 6 to January 10, 2025.
The Chairman of the Ondo State chapter of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), Olaoluwa Adesanya, expressed satisfaction with Dr Aremo’s presentation on the Commission’s preparedness for the elections and pledged that political parties would cooperate with ODIEC to ensure a smooth election process.