INEC Fixes Dates For Edo, Ondo Guber Polls

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has fixed dates for governorship elections, which will hold in Edo and Ondo States next year.

INEC in a statement by its National Commissioner Sam Olumekun on Tuesday, stated that the tenure of the governors of the two states would end on November 11, 2024 and February 23, 2025 respectively.

Olumekun who is Chairman of Information and Voter Education Committee, noted that section 178 (2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), says election into such “offices shall hold not earlier than 150 days and not later than 30 days before the expiration of the tenure of` the last holder of the office.”

To this end, “the latest date to hold election for Edo governorship is October 12, 2024, while that of Ondo State is January 24, 2025.

“Similarly, Section 28(1) of the Electoral Act, 2022 requires the commission to publish notice for the election not later than 360 days before the date of the election.”

According to him, party primaries for Edo governorship election will hold between February 1 and February 24, 2024 while the main election is on Saturday 21 that same year.

He gave political parties between March 4 and 24, 2024 to upload list of their nominated candidates on INEC online portal from 9 am to 6 pm each day.

“The final list of candidates will be published on 23rd April 2024 while campaign in public by political parties commences on 24th April 2024 and ends 24 hours prior to election day on 19th September 2024,” the National Commissioner said.

For Ondo governorship, Olumekun said the election will hold on November 16, 2024 while party primaries are fixed between April 6 and 27, 2024.

He added that submission of the list of nominated candidates via the online portal will start from April 29 and close May 20, 2024.

“The final list of candidates will be published on 18th June 2024 while campaign in public by political parties commences on 19th June 2024 and ends 24 hours prior to election day on 14th November 2024,” he added.

He appealed to political parties and candidates to comply to the published activities in the timetable.