Ahead of the February 15, 2025, local government election, the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission, OSSIEC, has issued eligibility regulations for political parties participating in the exercise.
The commission also declared that it is ready to appoint electoral officers, assistant electoral officers and other staff.
OSSIEC chairman Hashim Abioye dropped this hint on Wednesday in Osogbo in a statement by Yemi Badru, his Chief Press Secretary.
Abioye said OSSIEC’s action is in line with the timetable and schedule of activities for conducting Osun local council elections earlier released in February of this year.
While stressing that the time for political parties to conduct their primaries is around the corner, he added that the need arose to issue the eligibility regulations to guide participating political parties in fielding qualified candidates for the elections.
His words: “The Commission’s action is in line with the timetable and schedule of activities towards the conduct of Osun local council elections earlier released in February of this year.
“The time for political parties to conduct their primaries is around the corner, hence the need to issue the eligibility regulations to guide participating political parties in fielding qualified candidates for the elections, as any unqualified candidate fielded by any political party will not find his or her way to the ballots as the Screening Committee of the Commission will be readily on ground to address any eligibility issue.”
He also maintained: “Having earlier given notice of Osun local council election in line with the dictate of the law, and having issued the timetable and schedule of activities for the conduct of local council elections in Osun State, the time is ripe to issue regulations so as to guide participating political parties in the choice of candidates for the election.”
He stated that individuals in the civil service have 30 days to tender their resignation if they are interested in contesting any political position.
“This is within the jurisdictional compass of the Commission. As we all know, there are three categories of politicians who may wish to contest on the platforms of their respective political parties. We have private citizens, government employees and government appointees.
“While the constitution stipulates 30 days before the election for an employee in the service of any tier of government willing to contest an election to resign his or her employment, a political appointee at any level doesn’t enjoy such latitude as he or she must resign within the time as may be stipulated by the electoral body.
“This does not concern a private individual who is not a government employee or appointee. Other regulatory issues and eligibility criteria include a schedule of fees for nomination forms, change or substitution of candidates, campaign modalities, meetings, etc. All these will be contained in the regulations that will be issued so soon,” he said.
The OSSIEC chairman also said that the appointment of electoral officers, assistant electoral officers and other staff of the Commission will be announced within the next few days.
“Appointment of electoral officers for the local council areas is sacrosanct. They will be the eyes, ears and body of the Commission in implementing the programmes and activities of the Commission in each of the local council areas,” he said.
Abioye assured the Osun electorate that OSSIEC is committed to conducting free, fair, transparent and credible local government elections.
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