OGSIEC denies LG elections notice

The Ogun State Independent Electoral Commission, on Monday, discredited the notice of the next local government elections scheduled to hold on Saturday, October 26, 2024.

A statement allegedly signed by OGSIEC Chairman, Babatunde Osibodu, dated Wednesday, July 24, circulated widely on social media on Sunday.

However, Mr. Kayode Akinmade, Special Adviser on Media and Strategy to Governor Dapo Abiodun, has clarified to our correspondent that the statement is entirely false and should be ignored by the state’s residents.

Responding, Osibodu said on Monday that the statement had never originated from the agency.

The statement partly reads, “Ogun State Independent Electoral Commission (OGSIEC) has become aware of an unsigned document circulating on social media purporting to be a Notice of Election and timetable for the 2024 Local Government Elections for chairmanship and councillorship positions in the state.

“The commission wishes to inform all relevant stakeholders and the general public that this information is false and did not originate from OGSIEC and should, therefore, be disregarded.

“All necessary notices and other information concerning the 2024 Local Government Elections will be provided by the Commission in due course and will be duly signed by the chairman of the commission or other authorised signatories.”

The present elected local government officials in the state were elected on July 24, 2021, sworn in on July 26, 2021, and will be completing their three-year tenure by Friday, July 26.

The Supreme Court’s latest judgment has outlawed the appointment of caretaker committees by state governors to oversee local government operations.

The Supreme Court has emphasized the need for democratically elected leadership at the local government level, stating that any local government without a democratically elected administration will be ineligible to receive monthly allocations from the Federal Government.