Osun: OSSIEC issues eligibility regulations for LG Polls

By Deborah Oladejo, Osogbo

The Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSSIEC) has released eligibility regulations for political parties ahead of the local government elections scheduled for February 2025.

The commission has also announced its readiness to appoint electoral officers, assistant electoral officers, and other staff in preparation for the elections.

Hashim Abioye, the Chairman of OSSIEC, made this announcement through a statement by his press secretary, Yemi Badru.

Abioye emphasized that these actions are consistent with the timetable and schedule of activities for the Osun local council elections, which were released earlier this year in February.

As political parties prepare for their primaries, Abioye highlighted the need for clear eligibility regulations to ensure that only qualified candidates are fielded for the elections.

He stressed that unqualified candidates would not make it to the ballots, as the commission’s screening committee will be diligent in addressing any eligibility issues.

“Having earlier given notice of the Osun local council election in accordance with the law, and having issued the timetable and schedule of activities for the local council elections in Osun State, the time is ripe to issue regulations to guide participating political parties in the choice of candidates for the election,” Abioye stated.

Abioye outlined that there are three categories of politicians who may wish to contest: private citizens, government employees, and government appointees.

According to him, while government employees must resign their positions 30 days before the election, political appointees must resign within the timeframe stipulated by the electoral body.

He added that, private individuals who are not government employees or appointees are not subject to these requirements.

The regulations will also cover other critical areas such as the schedule of fees for nomination forms, the process for changing or substituting candidates, campaign modalities, and meeting guidelines.

According to the commission, these details will be provided in the forthcoming regulations.

Abioye also announced that the appointment of electoral officers, assistant electoral officers, and other commission staff will be made public in the coming days.