Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State

By Jethro Ibileke

The Edo State Independent Electoral Commission (EDSIEC), has released the timetable for the local government elections. The council polls have been fixed for Saturday, 14 January 2023.

This was contained in a statement signed by one Emmanuel Abebe, on behalf of the Chairman of EDSIEC.

“Under section 21 of Edo State Local Government Electoral Law and the Edo State Independent Electoral Commission Establishment (Re-enactment) (Amendment 1) Law 2022, a notice of Election is hereby given as follows:

“That election into the offices of the Chairmen and Councilors for the 18 Local Government Councils in Edo State shall be held on Saturday, 14th January 2023.”

The local government electoral umpire, therefore, directed all the registered political parties to collect nomination forms on behalf of their candidates at its office located at Plot 116, Oko-Ogba, Airport Road, Benin City.

In the release made available to journalists, the schedule for the election is as follows: “Thursday, 18th August 2022 – Notice of Election; Tuesday, 30th August 2022 – Meeting with political parties; Thursday 1st of September to Friday 30th of September 2022 – Conduct of party primaries; Monday, 3rd October, 2022 to Friday 28th October 2022 – Collection and submission of forms by political parties/submission of list of party candidates; Monday 31st October to Thursday 10th November, 2022 – Screening of candidates; Thursday 17th November, 2022 – Display of names of candidates.”

The statement further reads: “Friday 18th November 2022 – Electioneering campaign commences; Friday 25th November 2022 – Submission of names of changes/substituted candidates and screening of substituted candidates; Wednesday 12th December 2022 – Final publication of a list of validated candidates; Wednesday 28th December 2022 – Publication of notice of polls at the ward collation centres; Wednesday 28th December 2022 – Submission of names of party agents by political parties; Midnight of Thursday 12th January 2023 – End of Electioneering campaign and Saturday 14th January 2023 – Local Government Election.”