Gov. Rauf Aregbesola of Osun state

The Osun Independent Electoral Commission (OSIEC) said on Wednesday that the local government election in the state would hold on Jan. 27, 2018.

The Chairman of OSIEC, Mr Segun Oladitan, announced this at a press conference in Osogbo.

Oladitan said the date was chosen after deliberations with all political parties taking part in the election, according to the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN.

He said nomination forms would be issued free to candidates contesting in the election.

Oladitan, however, said that political parties contesting in the election would be required to pay a yet to be determined amount as administrative charges.

He described the election as unique as it was restricted to only candidates vying for councillorship seats in the local councils.

Oladitan said the decision followed the adoption of parliamentary system at the Local Government Council (LGC) level by the state government.

“The state shall operate a parliamentary system at the LGC level and councillors in each council would be the ones to elect chairmen from among themselves,” he said.

Oladitan also said candidates seeking election into the office of Chairman or Vice Chairman must first be elected as councillors before qualifying for the post.

He said 36 out of the 39 political parties that registered with the commission would participate in the election.

Oladitan commended the political parties and the executive committee of the Inter-Party Advisory Committee for their cooperation in working toward the success of the forthcoming election