Twelve political parties are set to contest the chairmanship and councillor positions in the local government elections across all 18 local government areas of Ondo State on January 18, 2025.
The election marks a return to democratic governance at the local level after a lengthy hiatus, following the expiration of the tenure of elected council officials on August 22, 2023.
Since that time, the administration of the state’s 18 council areas has been under the management of civil servants, specifically the Heads of Local Government Administrations. After multiple delays, the Ondo State Independent Electoral Commission (ODIEC) has confirmed that the elections will take place today.
Despite the screening and clearance of political parties, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) announced its withdrawal from the elections, citing a lack of confidence in ODIEC’s ability to conduct a credible election.
The political parties participating in the election include: Action Alliance, Action Democratic Party, Action People’s Party, All Progressives Congress (APC), All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Boot Party, Labour Party, National Rescue Party, New Nigeria Peoples Party, Social Democratic Party, Young Progressive Party, and Zenith Labour Party.
Chairman of ODIEC Joseph Aremo, assured the public that the commission was fully prepared to conduct the elections, having successfully recruited and trained ad hoc staff for the task. He also emphasized that the commission was working closely with relevant security agencies to ensure the safety of voters and the smooth conduct of the election.
In line with these security efforts, State Commissioner of Police, Wilfred Afolabi, confirmed that there would be an extensive police presence across the state, warning that any individual attempting to disrupt the election through violence would be arrested. He urged peaceful conduct throughout the election day.
Additionally, the state government declared January 17, 2025, a work-free day to allow public servants to travel and participate in the elections. A movement restriction has been imposed across the state today from 6:00 AM to 4:00 PM, and the situation in Akure, the state capital, remains calm.
Police personnel have been deployed at key points along major roads to monitor vehicular movement, while business and commercial activities have come to a halt in compliance with the government’s directives.
