By Dayo Johnson
AKURE—DESPITE a pending litigation over the sack of elected council chairmen in Ondo State, the state Independent Electoral Commission, ODIEC, yesterday issued guidelines for the conduct of elections into the 18 council areas in the state.
It fixed the election for December 1, 2018.
This is coming 18 months after the state governor, Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu sacked the elected Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, chairmen and appointed All Progressives Congress, APC members as caretaker chairmen.
The former council chairmen have challenged their dissolution in court and the matter is before the Court of Appeal.
Chairman of ODIEC, Prof. Yomi Dinakin said this during a stakeholders’ interactive meeting in Akure, Ondo State.
Dinakin said: “In accordance with section 30 of the Electoral Act 2010 as amended and schedule a paragraph (1) of the local government, establishment and administration law (Cap 87) laws of Ondo state (2006), notice is, hereby, given that election to the following offices in the local governments shall hold on December 1, 2018.”
He, however, said the commission would not make use of Card Reader machine during the conduct of the local government election in the state.
He said: “The law setting up the commission had no provision for the use of the Card Reader machine for the conduct of its elections; the logistics of the commission cannot accommodate the use of Card Reader in the election.
“Our logistics cannot accommodate the use of Card Reader. It is expensive and the time for the training of manpower is short and expensive, but I am assuring the election will be a success.
“If we follow the rule, we will conduct a free, fair and credible election and I am assuring you of our neutrality in the election, we are not going to be tele-guided.
Source:
No comments:
Post a Comment