Osun LG polls: OSSIEC releases election guidelines

…18 political parties submit dates for primaries

By Deborah Oladejo, Osogbo

The Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSSIEC) has released the guidelines for the upcoming February 2025 Local Government Elections in the state.

In a statement dated July 22, 2024, and signed by Omoyemi Badru, the secretary to the OSSIEC chairman announced crucial information and procedures for political parties, candidates, and stakeholders involved in the electoral process were provided.

According to the statement, 18 political parties have expressed interest in participating in the elections and have submitted dates for their primary elections.

Key highlights of the guidelines include:

• Qualification Requirements: Criteria for eligibility for chairmanship and councillorship positions.
• Nomination Procedures: Steps for the nomination of candidates and the conduct of primary elections by political parties.
• Nomination Fees: A non-refundable fee of N500,000.00 for chairmanship candidates and N250,000.00 for councillorship candidates.
• Required Documents: Candidates must submit a tax clearance certificate issued in the last 2-3 years in their personal name.
• Candidate Selection: The choice of chairmanship and vice-chairmanship candidates by political parties in any local government should reflect the peculiarities, history, customs, and geographical spread of the local government.
• Withdrawal and Replacement of Candidates: Any withdrawal and replacement must be endorsed by both the state chairman and secretary of the political party involved and must occur before the final publication of names by the Commission, except in cases of death.
• Resignation of Political Appointees: Aspirants who are political appointees must resign their positions before the date of the primary election.
• Voting Requirements: Voters must possess a valid Permanent Voter’s Card (PVC) issued by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
• Collation and Declaration of Results: Procedures for the collation and declaration of results.
• Election Tribunal Procedures: Guidelines for the election tribunal and election appeal tribunal procedures.