Politics

ODIEC Holds Stakeholders’ Parley Ahead Of Councillorship Elections Reruns

By Web News 687

The Ondo State Independent Electoral Commission, ODIEC says all is set for the conduct of rerun councillorship elections into 3 wards in Akure North and Ifedore Local Government Areas. 

ODIEC Chairman, Professor Yomi Dinakin disclosed this at a meeting aimed at putting on notice stakeholders in the affected areas. 

Professor Dinakin noted that the 3 wards had their election results declared inconclusive in the August 2020 Local Government Elections in the state. 

According to the ODIEC Chairman, the rerun councillorship elections will hold in 2 wards in Akure North and 1 ward in Ifedore Local Government Area. 

He informed the stakeholders that the other affected Ikun Ward 9 in Akoko South-West Local Government Area has been cleared by court injunction that ordered issuance certification of returns to the councillor in the ward and the commission had since complied.

Professor Dinakin who said the voter register used last year would still be deployed for the election informed that non-sensitive materials will be moved to the affected local government areas for onward transmission to the wards.

He added that the date for the election will be communicated to a larger stakeholders meeting in due course. 

Responding, Chairman Ondo State IPAC, Mr. Charles Fagbohunka commended the electoral body for the notice and stressed that political parties are expectant on the date for the conduct of the rerun councillorship elections.

Olumide Abudu

Politics

APC Clears All Ondo LG Chairmanship Seats

By Web News 759

The All Progressives Congress, APC, has won elections into Chairmanship positions in the local government areas of Ondo State.

The APC in the results ratified by the Chairman of the State Independent Electoral Commission, ODIEC, Professor Yomi Dinakin as declared by the Returning Officers emerged victorious in all the 18 local council areas.

Professor Dinakin also announced receipt of results of one hundred and ninety councilors out of the two hundred and three wards in the state.

According to him, there will be rerun elections at a later date in four wards where cases of violence were recorded.

The elected chairmen and their vice-chairmen were issued certificates of return by the ODIEC Chairman who is the Chief Electoral Officer.

Olumide Abudu & Isaac Afolabi

Politics

Ondo Electoral Commission Clears Air on Non-Conduct of Poll in 5 Council Areas

By Web News 957

The Ondo State Independent Electoral Commission, ODIEC has justified why there was no election in five council areas in the just concluded election.

ODIEC list affected council areas to include Akoko NorthEast, Ose, Ifedore, Odigbo and Irele.

ODIEC Chairman, Prof Yomi Dinakin while receiving the results from the Local Government Returning Officers said there was no opposition candidates in the affected council areas, hence the need to abide by constitutional provisions in the electoral acts.

Prof Dinakin said contrary to insinuations in some quarters, ODIEC acted in line with the constitution.

As at the time of filing this report, the results are being read and ratified.

Afolabi/Abudu

Politics

SDP has not informed us about its pulling out of tomorrow’s council poll – ODIEC

By Web News 646

The Ondo State Independent Electoral Commission, ODIEC says it is unaware of the Social Democratic Party, SDP pulling out of the council poll slated for Saturday August 22.

ODIEC Commissioner in Charge of Media and Publicity, Mr Rotimi Olorunfemi, who stated this while clearing the air on the information making the rounds on social media, said the Commission had not received any letter from the SDP in that regard.

Mr Olorunfemi emphasized that it was only an individual who said he would not participate in the local government election.

The ODIEC commissioner maintained that the electoral body was set for the conduct of the poll and would not relent.

Mr Olorunfemi added that the High Court sitting in Akure had thrown out a case seeking to stop the conduct of the poll by some deregistered political parties.

Meanwhile sensitive materials for the conduct of the election had been distributed and transported to area offices of ODIEC for tomorrow’s election.

Correspondent Olumide Abudu reports that the materials were distributed overnight till the early hours of today to the 18 local government areas while accreditation of media organizations covering the election have been carried out.

Olumide Abudu

Politics

We are ready for LG Polls – Prof. Dinakin

By Web News 853

The Ondo State Independent Electoral Commission, ODIEC, has taken delivery of sensitive materials for the conduct of local government election slated for the Saturday, August 22.

ODIEC Chairman, Professor Yomi Dinakin while presenting it to participating political parties at the commission’s headquarters, said all is set for the conduct of the council poll.

Professor Dinakin noted that the materials would be distributed to the 18 council areas at the stipulated time in accordance with electoral acts guiding the conduct of the poll.

Some of the sensitive materials include ballot papers, forms ODIEC EC8A, EC8A (1), EC8B, EC8B (1), EC8C, EC8E and EC8E (1).

Others include certificate of return of election for Chairman, Vice Chairman and Councilors.

The ODIEC Chairman discarded the insinuation in some quarters that voting materials would not get to some areas emphasizing that the commission had put in place measures to ensure free, fair and credible elections.

Meanwhile soft copies of voters’ register were distributed to the nine political parties present at the presentation of the sensitive materials.

Radio Nigeria correspondent reports that political parties at the event include AAC, ADC, APC, PGA, DP, AA, PPC, SDP and Accord Party.

Olumide Abudu

Politics

ODIEC Insists on Council Polls Despite COVID-19 Pandemic

By Web News 702

The Ondo State Independent Electoral Commission, ODIEC says it has put in place measures to check the effect of coronavirus scare on the conduct of the local government election slated for April 18.

ODIEC Commissioner in charge of Media and Publicity, Mr. Rotimi Olorunfemi who maintained that the commission did not have plans to postpone the poll disclosed this while briefing Newsmen in Akure.

Mr. Olorunfemi stated that the commission had made provision for hand washing bowls, sanitizers and gloves to carter for the people that would be participating in the election.

He noted that the commission would also be collaborating with the state Ministry of Health to ensure the safety of members of ad hoc staff and officials before, during and after the poll.

According to him, the electoral officials will only attend to twenty voters at a time in order to align with government laid down rules of health safety.

On the training of ad hoc Staff, Mr. Olorunfemi emphasized that provision had been made to breakdown it down to manageable sizes in adherence to government directives.

Olumide Abudu

Politics

Deji Charges ODIEC on Credible LG Elections

By Web News 765

The Deji of Akure, Oba Ogunlade Aladetoyinbo has called on the Ondo State Independent Electoral Commission, ODIEC, to conduct a credible and acceptable local government election come April 18.

Oba Aladetoyinbo made the call when he received members of the commission led by its Chairman, Professor Yomi Dinakin at the Palace.

The monarch who expressed confidence in ODIEC also called for more sensitization on the side of the commission especially through electronic medium due to the ravaging corona virus disease.

Earlier, ODIEC Chairman Professor Yomi Dinakin said the visit to the palace was part of the commission’s efforts of sensitizing the people on the importance attached to the council poll.

Professor Dinakin affirmed that the election would hold at the stipulated date of April 18 without hitch.

The ODIEC boss added that necessary measures are being put in place for smooth conduct of the election.

Olumide Abudu

Politics

ODIEC Screens Candidates ahead of LG Election

By Web News 1068

The Ondo State Independent Electoral Commission, ODIEC, has begun the screening of candidates to participate in the April 18 local government election in the state. 

The exercise is being carried out at the headquarters of the commission in Akure.

Speaking to journalists, chairman of the commission, Professor Yomi Dinakin disclosed that the ongoing exercise had only 27 chairmanship candidates from nine political parties that have indicated interest to participate in the council polls.

Professor Dinakin noted that according to law, the screening was to show consistency and clarification of candidate form, payment of tax, evidence of development levy and qualification.

The chairman of the commission noted that the electoral law of the state had it that candidates must have been sponsored by his/her political party and which the commission has keyed into.

Professor Dinakin insisted that the indication of participation does not mean that political parties must present candidates, saying that some parties only fielded candidates for one or two local governments.

Some of the chairmanship candidates described the screening exercise as transparent and would assist in avoiding litigation over fake credentials.

Meanwhile, the vice-chairmanship candidates who had earlier scheduled for tomorrow has been postponed to a date that will be communicated by the commission due to public holiday declared by the state government.

Similarly, screening of candidates for the position of councilor would hold at the area offices of the commission across the eighteen local government areas.

Olumide Abudu