The Ogun State Independent Electoral Commission (OGSIEC) on Monday refuted a circulating notice regarding the next local government elections, scheduled for October 26, 2024. The purported announcement, allegedly signed by OGSIEC Chairman Babatunde Osibodu and dated July 24, spread widely on social media over the weekend.
Kayode Akinmade, Special Adviser on Media and Strategy to Governor Dapo Abiodun, informed our correspondent that the notice was false and urged residents to disregard it. Osibodu confirmed that the statement did not originate from OGSIEC.
In a release, Osibodu stated, “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.”
He assured that official notices and information regarding the 2024 Local Government Elections will be provided by OGSIEC in due course and will bear authorized signatures.
The current local government officials, elected on July 24, 2021, and sworn in on July 26, 2021, will complete their three-year tenure on July 26, 2024. A recent Supreme Court judgment has prohibited appointing caretaker committees by state governors for local governments, mandating democratically elected governments for access to Federal Government allocations.