Public Holiday Forces Extension of Local Government Primaries In Ogun State 

The declaration of a public holiday on Monday, 16th September 2024, by the Federal Government has prompted the Ogun State Independent Electoral Commission (OGSIEC) to extend the timeline for party primaries ahead of the Local Government elections. With the original schedule already tight, political parties expressed concerns that the holiday would disrupt their ability to organize primaries effectively, leading to calls for a slight adjustment of the election timetable.

In response, OGSIEC announced that the deadline for party primaries has been extended to Thursday, 19th September 2024, allowing more time for preparation. The commission also extended the collection period for Personal Data Forms CF001 and CF002 to Monday, 23rd September 2024, ensuring all parties have sufficient time to complete the necessary processes.

In addition to the timeline adjustments, OGSIEC addressed concerns about administrative fees. The chairmanship candidate fee to be paid by political parties has been reduced from N250,000 to N200,000, while fees for male and female councillorship candidates will now be N100,000 ans N50,000 only respectively. Despite these changes, all other aspects of the election timetable remain unchanged, with the election scheduled for 16th November 2024.

These adjustments are expected to ease pressure on political parties and encourage broader participation in the upcoming elections.