The Ogun State Independent Electoral Commission (OGSIEC) has announced a change in the minimum age requirement for candidates contesting in the upcoming local government elections.
News About Nigeria reports that the commission’s chairman, Babatunde Osibodu, revealed this in a statement made available to journalists on Friday.
The new age requirement is 25 years, as against the 30 years adopted earlier.
Osibodu stated that the amendment follows a review of the laws governing local government area elections, aligning the guidelines with Sections 7 (4) and 106 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“This amendment follows a review of the laws governing the conduct of local government elections, bringing the guidelines in line with Sections 7 (4) and 106 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which stipulate that a candidate is qualified for election if he or she has attained the age of 25 years,” the statement reads.
“As a result of this adjustment, the commission has extended the deadline for party primaries by one week.
“The primaries, initially set to end on Monday, September 9, will now run until Monday, September 16, 2024.”
Osibodu said that candidacy forms can be collected by political parties that have concluded their primaries from Tuesday, September 10, 2024.
The chairman said that submissions of the completed forms would take place between September 16 and 20, 2024.
He added that a meeting has been scheduled for Monday, September 9, 2024, at the commission’s headquarters in Oke-Ilewo, Abeokuta, with all political parties invited to send a maximum of two representatives each.
He affirmed that the previously published election timetable remains unchanged, with the chairmanship and councillorship elections still set to be held on November 16, 2024.
