The Ondo State government says it plans to hold its local council election by December 16, 2023. 

Yomi Odinakin, Chairman of the Ondo State Independent Electoral Commission (ODIEC) announced this in a timetable released on Friday in Akure, the state capital. 

Mr Odinakin said elections into the offices of the Chairman and Vice Chairman in the eighteen local government council areas of the state will be held that day. 

“The announcement was in line with the provisions of Section 28 (1) of the Electoral Act, 2022 that stipulates not later than 360 days before the election,” he said.  

Mr Odinakin explained that the preparation for the LG election was in line with “electoral act provisions” to avoid litigation, assuring that the exercise will be free and fair. 

“ODIEC will continue to ensure that local government elections are conducted in a credible and acceptable manner”. 

The ODIEC chair noted that the state electoral body would meet with stakeholders and political parties to deliberate on the guidelines for the election. 

A copy of the timetable obtained by Peoples Gazette revealed that by April 10 – June 10, 2023, the participating political parties would hold party primaries and be monitored by the electoral body.

Also, the campaigns for the election would begin by July 17 and end by December 14, 2023.

Earlier, Rotimi Olorunfemi, spokesman for ODIEC, said the publication for lists of validated candidates would be published by July 17, 2023. 

In August 2020, Ondo conducted the last local council election in the 18 local council areas and 203 wards in the state amid a boycott by the opposition parties in the state. 

The political parties had claimed that the then LG election might not be free, fair and transparent. 

About 15 political parties had approached the state High Court in Akure to file an interlocutory injunction to stop the conduct of the election exercise. 

But Justice Adegboyega Adebusoye, who presided over the case, struck out the application of the political parties on the grounds that it breached section 58 of the Ondo State Independent Electoral Commission laws. 

The election was later conducted with members of the governing All Progressives Congress (APC) participating in the exercise.