The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has released the dates for the 2024 governorship elections in Ondo and Edo states.
The Ondo state governorship election is scheduled for Saturday, November 16, 2024, while the Edo state governorship election will take place on September 21, 2024.
These dates are in accordance with Section 178(2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), which mandates that such elections occur not earlier than 150 days and not later than 30 days before the expiration of the incumbent office holder’s tenure.
The latest possible date for the Ondo state election is January 24, 2025, and for Edo state, it is October 12, 2024.
According to Sam Olumekun, the INEC national commissioner and chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, the commission is complying with Section 178(2) of the constitution and Section 28(1) of the Electoral Act, which requires the commission to publish election notices at least 360 days before the election date.
In the case of the Edo state governorship election, party primaries are scheduled to take place from February 1 to February 24, 2024.
The submission of nominated candidates’ lists via the online portal will begin on March 4, 2024, at 9:00 AM and close on March 24, 2024, at 6:00 PM.
The final list of candidates will be published on April 23, 2024, with public campaigning by political parties commencing on April 24, 2024, and concluding 24 hours before the election on September 19, 2024.
For the Ondo state governorship election, party primaries are set for April 6 to April 27, 2024. Nominated candidates’ lists can be submitted online from April 29, 2024, starting at 9:00 AM, and closing on May 20, 2024, at 6:00 PM.
The final list of candidates will be published on June 18, 2024, and public campaigning will begin on June 19, 2024, ending 24 hours before the election on November 14, 2024.
INEC has published a detailed timetable and schedule of activities for both elections on its website and social media platforms and has called on political parties and candidates to adhere strictly to this timetable.
