By Ogochukwu Isioma
The Edo State Independent Electoral Commission (EDSIEC), on Tuesday, released a fresh time-table for election in the 18 Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the state.
The election, according to the commission, will now take place on Saturday, September 2, 2023.
The Administrative Secretary of EDSIEC, Sunday Osayande stated this in the Notice of Election he personally signed and made available to METROWATCHXTRA.COM in Benin City.
The Commission said the closure of conduct of party primaries will be on Thursday June 1, 2023, while the publication of notice of polls at the ward collation centres will be on July 26, 2023.
It further noted that 2nd June to 15th June, 2023, is scheduled for collection and submission of forms by political parties/submission of list of candidates, and Electioneering Campaign will commence on 24th June, 2023.
EDSIEC said names of candidates who are contesting elective positions in the council polls will be displayed on 22nd June, 2023, while 22nd August, 2023 is for submission of names of party agents by political parties.
According to the electoral commission, the submission of names of changed/substituted candidates is scheduled for 8th July, 2023; and 1st August, 2023 for publication of final list of validated candidates, while the electioneering campaign will end on 31st August, 2023.
METROWATCHXTRA.COM reports that this is the fourth time-table EDSIEC is releasing on the Edo council polls. The electoral body had initially announced April 19, 2022 as the date for the council elections.
But, following a restraining order by the Federal High Court in Abuja, EDSIEC shifted the poll to January 19, 2023; later to May 6, 2023, and finally September 2, 2023.
One Irene Enike Sylvester and 3 other applicants had challenged the validity of the Edo State electoral law which allows for the holding of elections within 15 days from the date of the publication of notice for the conduct of election.
In the grounds of their application, they contended that the state’s law contradicts the Electoral Act 2022 which provides for at least 150 days before election.
Justice Taiwo Taiwo who gave the restraining order, held that he was of the well considered view that the alleged infraction in the Edo State Electoral Law vis-a-vis the Electoral Act 2022, as canvassed by the plaintiffs, is worth looking at by the court.
