Ogun LG polls: Candidates to pay N200,000 to Ogun Electoral Commission

By Musa Baba Adamu

To participate in the July 24 local government elections, the Ogun State Independent Electoral Commission (OGSIEC) has asked chairmanship candidates to pay a sum of N200,000.
This is just as those vying to be councillors are to pay N100,000 each.
The Chairman of OGSIEC, Babatunde Osibodu, disclosed this on Tuesday at a press conference he addressed at the June 12 Cultural Centre, Kuto, Abeokuta.
Osibodu said, “The Electoral Law 2007 provides for payment of a non-refundable deposit by intending candidates.”
He revealed that “For Chairmanship candidates, this fee has been set as N200,000 while for Councillorship candidates, it is N100,000.”
However, Osibodu said women participating in the election would not pay a dime.
“For the avoidance of doubt, this means that female candidates will not be required to make any deposit,” he declared.
To obtain a nomination form from OGSIEC, Osibodu said candidates must produce evidence of payment of the aforesaid deposit.
The Commission directed that all members of Transition Committees of Local Governments who want to participate in the elections must have resigned their positions, at least, 30 days from the date of the election.
While promising to be fair, equitable, just, even-handed, open and transparent, the Chairman urged political parties not to run foul of the laws, saying “We beseech you to comply fully with the laid down rules governing the conduct of these elections.”
Speaking about the electoral guidelines, he said, “I urge you to note the following amendments to the earlier released timetable: (i) the times given for party primaries has been increased to 22 days, from Wednesday 5th May to Thursday 27th May 2021; (ii) Political campaigns are to end Midnight Thursday 22nd July 2021, rather than the earlier stated time.