By Dayo Johnson, Akure

The Ondo State Independent Electoral Commission, ODIEC has postponed the local government election earlier scheduled for February 17, by another six months.

Chairman of the state electoral commission, Dr lgbekele Aremo, said in Akure that the election has been postponed to July 13.

Aremo while speaking during a stakeholders meeting with political parties in the state, said that “the commission did not cancel the election but rescheduled it because most of the political parties did not conform with the guidelines to be followed before the election can be conducted.

He adeed that the postponement was in line with the provisions of extant laws from where the election guidelines get footing.

“We can’t conduct the election for ourselves, we will only conduct the election when parties comply with the guidelines, when we have valid nominations, when parties and their candidates turn up for verification and others, things that are required as may be specified by our guideline and the enabling laws.”

The chairman said some of these provisions of the election guidelines have not been heeded and as a result the election had to be postponed.

According to him “the decision is to ensure that the election reflects the aspirations of the electorate.

“Therefore the commission having met and appraised this situation, came up with this decision, that the election is further rescheduled as contained in the activity for the conduct of election to the 18LGAs and 33 LCDAs of Ondo State and that the new election date is for the election into the office of Chairmanship and Councilorship to be fixed and to be conducted on Saturday, 13th of July, 2024.”

“With the new adjustment to the election time table, political parties now have between Monday, 13th May, to Monday 3rd June, 2024 to conduct their primary elections.

According to the commission, submission of forms and list of candidates will close on Tuesday, 1st June, 2024, followed by campaigns on Wednesday, 5th June, 2024, which would close on midnight of Thursday 11th July, 2024.

The commission has therefore assured of readiness to conduct free, fair and credible elections for the people of Ondo State