Ogun State Independent Electoral Commission has said the declaration of public holiday on Monday, 16th of September 2024, has prompted the electoral body(OGSIEC) to extend the timeline for the party primaries ahead of the Local Government elections .

A press release signed by the Chairman of the Commission, Mr. Babatunde Osibodu, indicated that the extension was as a result of political parties expressing concerns that the holiday would disrupt their ability to organize primaries effectively, leading to calls for a slight adjustment of election timetable.

The release stated that in response, OGSIEC has announced that party primaries be extended to Thursday, 19th September 2024, to allowing more time for preparation by political parties in the state.

According to the release, the Commission has also extended the collection period for Personal Data Forms CF001 and CF002 to Monday, September 23, 2024, towards ensuring all parties have sufficient time to complete the necessary processes.

The release added that in respect to the guidelines, OGSIEC has addressed concerns about administrative fees, where Chairmanship fee to be paid by political parties has been reduced from N250,000 to N200,000, while male councilorship candidates will now pay N100,000, and female councilorship candidate will pay N50,000 only. 

The release further stated that despite the changes, all other aspects of the election timetable remain unchanged, with the election scheduled for 16th November, 2024.

It added that these adjustment are expected to  ease pressure on political parties and encourage broader participation in the upcoming elections.