The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has officially announced the dates for the upcoming governorship elections in Edo and Ondo states.
According to INEC, the Edo governorship election is scheduled to take place on September 21, 2024, while the Ondo governorship election will be held on November 16, 2024.
These election dates align with the constitutional and statutory provisions governing such electoral processes in Nigeria. Section 178 (2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) mandates that governorship elections shall occur not earlier than 150 days and not later than 30 days before the expiration of the incumbent governor’s tenure.
Additionally, Section 28(1) of the Electoral Act, 2022 requires INEC to issue a Notice for the Election not later than 360 days before the election date.
In a statement released by Sam Olumekun, the National Commissioner and chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee at INEC, it was revealed that the current governors of Edo and Ondo states will conclude their tenures on November 11, 2024, and February 23, 2025, respectively.
The timetable and schedule of activities for these elections have also been released by INEC. For the Edo governorship election, party primaries are set to take place from February 1 to February 24, 2024. The submission of the list of nominated candidates through the online portal will commence on March 4, 2024, and close on March 24, 2024.
The final list of candidates will be published on April 23, 2024, with political party campaigns beginning on April 24, 2024, and concluding 24 hours before the election day on September 19, 2024.
In the case of Ondo state, party primaries are scheduled for April 6 to April 27, 2024, with the submission of the list of nominated candidates via the online portal starting on April 29, 2024, and closing on May 20, 2024.
The final list of candidates for Ondo’s governorship election will be published on June 18, 2024. Campaigns by political parties in Ondo will commence on June 19, 2024, and cease 24 hours before the election day on November 14, 2024.
The INEC further emphasized that detailed information about these elections will be made available on its official website and social media platforms as the electoral process unfolds.
