OSUN, EKITI 2014: INEC fixes election dates

The Independent National Electoral Commission will conduct the Ekiti State governorship election in June this year, while that of Osun State will be held a few months after, The PUNCH has learnt.

The Chief Press Secretary to INEC Chairman, Mr. Kayode Idowu, who disclosed this in an interview with our correspondent in Abuja on Sunday, said that the timetable for the elections would be decided within the timeframe prescribed by law.

He said, “The schedule for the elections will be announced when the commission formally decides on the timelines – certainly, within the time frame prescribed by the law relative to the expiration of respective tenure.

“The elections won’t be held at the same time, since the tenures are not expiring at the same time. The general projection is that Ekiti will be held by mid-year 2014, and Osun shortly thereafter.”

The former Peoples Democratic Party governor of Ekiti State, Chief Segun Oni, was on February 19, 2009, sacked by the Court of Appeal in Ilorin over non-compliance with Electoral Acts 2006 in some wards in 10 Local Governments Area of the state in the April 14, 2007 governorship election.

The incumbent governor of the state who contested the election under the platform of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, filed an appeal challenging the election of Oni at the Election Petition Tribunal where he was declared the winner of the election.

His counterpart in Osun State, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, became a governor on November 26, 2010, after he was declared the winner of the April 14, 2007 governorship election by the Court of Appeal sitting in Ibadan.

By the provision of section 178 (2) of the 1999 Constitution as amended, an election to the office of governor of a state shall be held on a date not earlier than 150 days and not later than 30 days before the expiration of the term of office of the last holder of the office.