Abeokuta, Nigeria— The Special Adviser on Media and Strategy to Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State, Mr. Kayode Akinmade, has labeled as fake news a circulating statement on social media claiming that the next local government elections in the state will occur on October 26, 2024.
Akinmade clarified that the current elected local government officials, who were elected on July 24, 2021, and sworn in on July 26, 2021, are expected to complete their three-year tenure by Friday, July 26, 2024.
In light of a recent Supreme Court judgment, state governors can no longer appoint caretaker committees to manage local government affairs. The court emphasized the necessity of democratically elected local governments, stipulating that only such governments would have access to monthly federal allocations.
The disputed statement, purportedly signed by the Chairman of the Ogun State Independent Electoral Commission (OGSIEC), Babatunde Osibodu, announced that the local government elections would be held on October 26, 2024. The statement, dated Wednesday, July 24, outlined a detailed election schedule and procedures for prospective candidates.
The statement reads: “In consonance with Section 10(1) Ogun State Electoral Law 2007, the general public is hereby informed that elections into the offices of Chairmen of the Twenty (20) Local Governments and Councillors of the 236 Wards of Ogun State will be conducted on Saturday, 26th October 2024 between 8.00 am and 2.00 pm.”
It also detailed the publication of the notice of election, release of the election timetable and guidelines, stakeholder meetings, the commencement of campaigns, and the schedule for party primaries.
However, Akinmade, in a conversation with our correspondent, dismissed the statement as “fake news.”
Efforts to contact OGSIEC Chairman Babatunde Osibodu were unsuccessful, as messages sent to his WhatsApp and calls to his phone were not answered at the time of this report.
Contrarily, an unnamed source within the party confirmed the statement’s authenticity, claiming it was leaked prematurely. “The truth is that the statement is real, it was only leaked to the public before the due date which is July 24. I am very sure of what I just told you,” the source said.