The Ondo State Independent Electoral Commission has indefinitely postponed the local government election scheduled to hold on July 13.
The decision was announced by the Chairman of ODIEC, Dr. Joseph Aremo, during a stakeholders’ meeting held on Monday in Akure.
The election was initially rescheduled to cover the 18 local government areas and 33 local council development areas in the state.
However, legal complications arose following a state High Court ruling in June, which declared the creation of the 33 LCDAs by the late Governor Rotimi Akeredolu as unconstitutional. The court found that the law establishing the LCDAs was signed outside the state, in Ibadan.
Aremo cited non-compliance by 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,” Aremo stated.
He emphasized that despite previous warnings and commitments from political party leaders, none had adhered to the guidelines set forth by ODIEC.
“If only two parties were prepared for the election, we would have proceeded. However, no valid nomination forms were submitted,” Aremo clarified.
The ODIEC Chairman expressed the commission’s commitment to ensuring a fair electoral process but noted the necessity of reviewing the entire process due to widespread non-compliance.
Reacting to the postponement, Mr. Olaoluwa Adesanya, the state chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council, explained that the decision by political parties to withhold nomination forms was a collective one.
“We agreed among ourselves that no political party should submit nomination forms because we want to meet with the state governor to discuss and understand certain issues within the government,” Adesanya stated.
He acknowledged ODIEC’s independence in electoral matters and described the postponement as a matter between the government and political parties.
The ODIEC Chairman assured stakeholders of the commission’s determination to conduct a credible election once compliance with electoral guidelines is achieved.
“Our concern is to conduct free and fair elections at the grassroots level that will lead to the emergence of local leadership,” Aremo concluded.
