INEC Sets Dates for Edo and Ondo State Governorship Elections

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has officially scheduled the dates for the off-cycle governorship elections in Edo and Ondo states.

In a statement released on Tuesday, INEC confirmed that the Edo governorship election is slated for September 21, 2024, while the Ondo governorship election is set to take place on November 16, 2024.

According to the statement signed by Sam Olumekun, Chairman of the INEC Voter Committee, party primaries will be conducted between February 1 and February 24, 2024. Additionally, the submission of nominated candidates’ lists through the online portal will commence at 9 am on March 4, 2024, and conclude at 6 pm on March 24, 2024.

The elections are in accordance with the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), which stipulates that such elections should occur no earlier than 150 days and no later than 30 days before the expiration of the incumbent governor’s tenure.

Furthermore, Section 28(1) of the Electoral Act, 2022 mandates the Commission to publish the election notice no later than 360 days before the election date.