By Jubril Bada

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The Ondo State Independent Electoral Commission (ODIEC) has said that the verification of chairmanship and vice-chairmanship candidates for the January 18 Local Government elections would be conducted today, Monday, December 23, 2024, at the headquarters of the commission.

ODIEC chairman, Dr. Joseph Aremo, said same exercise for councilorship candidates would take place tomorrow, Tuesday, December 24, at the various local government area offices of the commission, where the electoral officers will be supervised by ODIEC commissioners in those area offices.

Dr. Joseph Aremo, who disclosed this in an interview with The Hope, said the purpose of the exercise was to verify the credentials of the chairmanship, vice-chairmanship, and councilorship candidates participating in the elections.

“On Monday, December 23, 2024, we are going to verify the particulars, information, and credentials submitted by chairmanship and vice-chairmanship candidates of various political parties participating in the upcoming elections.

“On Tuesday, December 24, the same exercise will take place at the 18 Local Government area offices of our commission, where the electoral officers, supervised by the commissioners in those area offices, will verify the councilorship candidates participating in the elections,” he stated.

Aremo announced that on Friday, December 27, the commission will release the list of validated candidates whose credentials have been verified at both the headquarters and the respective area offices of the commission.

The chairman also stated that applications for ad-hoc staff, including NYSC members, will begin at the headquarters and the various local government area offices of the commission on December 27, 2024, and will run until Monday, January 6, 2025. Applicants will be screened and trained for the exercise.

He urged interested persons to apply through the electoral officers of each local government or the Office of the Director of Operations at the headquarters.

Campaigns by political parties will commence on Thursday, December 26, 2024, and will run until Thursday, January 16, 2025.

While urging the electoral officers of ODIEC to live above board, the chairman emphasized that people expect much from the electoral umpire to transform the process and set a benchmark not only for Nigeria but also for African countries in terms of grassroots elections.

Aremo, who assured that the election would be free, fair, transparent, and credible urged political parties and their candidates to conduct themselves well during the campaigns. He affirmed that results will be declared at polling units and collated at the designated collation centres after the elections.

“We want the best for Ondo State and to put the state on the map of global records in terms of conducting free, fair, credible, and transparent polls,” he said.