Ondo State Local Government Election Postponed Indefinitely

The Ondo State Independent Electoral Commission (ODIEC) has announced the indefinite postponement of the local government election previously scheduled for July 13.

Dr. Joseph Aremo, Chairman of ODIEC, made this announcement during a stakeholders’ meeting on Monday in Akure, the state capital.

Initially, ODIEC had slated the election to cover the 18 local government areas and 33 local council development areas (LCDAs).

However, a state High Court ruling in June declared the creation of the 33 LCDAs by the late Governor Rotimi Akeredolu unconstitutional.

The court highlighted that the law establishing the LCDAs was signed by the late governor in Ibadan, outside the state, rendering it invalid.

During the Monday meeting, Aremo cited the non-compliance of political parties with the electoral process as the primary reason for the postponement.

“The political parties did not submit their nomination forms, nor did they comply with the adjusted timetable from the last meeting.

As a precursor to the conduct of the election, between June 26 and June 28, political parties were expected to submit the lists of their agents,” Aremo stated.

He also emphasized that ODIEC had clearly communicated the sacrosanct nature of the July 13 election date during the last meeting with political party leaders, stressing that there were no plans to change it.