The Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSIEC) has fixed October 15th, 2022 as the date for the local government elections in the state.
The Chairman of the Commission, Otunba Segun Oladitan, said this during a press conference at OSIEC office in Osogbo, the state capital, on Monday.
He said the election would have taken place two years ago, but could not hold due to a number of encumbrances including litigations, COVID-19 pandemic and EndSARS saga.
Oladitan said all the inhibiting factors and circumstances had been ameliorated, thereby making the coast very clear for the commission to conduct local government elections.
He added that all previous laws on local government elections in the state had been repealed. He said, the State House of Assembly recently enacted Osun State Independent Electoral Commission Law, 2022 which had been duly assented to by Governor Adegboyega Oyetola.
Oladitan said, “The commission is happy to inform you and the general public that the Local Government Elections in Osun State of Nigeria shall be conducted on the 15th day of October, 2022.”
“You would kindly recollect that when this Commission conducted elections in January 2018, it was based on parliamentary system. I have the pleasure to inform you that the elections we are conducting this 2022 shall be on presidential system
whereby Chairmen of Local Government Councils shall be elected and Ward Councillors shall be elected separately.”
Oladitan said the commission had been making necessary contacts with relevant stakeholders and carrying out in-house preparations for the conduct of local government elections.
“In accordance with the Oath which we Members of the Commission took we shall ensure that the elections are free, fair, transparent and credible.”
“We therefore seek for the support of you the Fourth Estate of the realm is giving balanced, fair and impartial reportage of our activities before, during and after the elections,” he added.