Ogun LG chairmanship candidates to pay N250,000 – OGSIEC

By Our Correspondent

Ahead of the November 16 local government election in Ogun State, the state’s Independent Electoral Commission, on Thursday, announced a N250,000 administrative fee for chairmanship candidates.

The Chairman of the Ogun State Independent Electoral Commission, Babatunde Osibodu, represented by Olatunji Akoni, also announced N150,000 administrative fee for councillorship candidates. However, female councillorship candidates will pay N100,000.

Osibodu, who spoke at a stakeholders’ meeting held at the June 12 Cultural Centre, Kuto, Abeokuta, on Thursday, said the fee was subsidised for female candidates to encourage women participation.

“At OGSIEC, we are committed to gender sensitivity and actively advocate female participation in the democratic process. The commission has, therefore, set the administrative charges for the political parties presenting candidates at the elections.

“It is N250,000 per chairmanship candidate, N150,000 per male councillorship candidate and N100,000 per female councillorship candidate,” the OGSIEC Chairman said.

He promised that the election would be free and fair to reflect the wishes and aspirations of the people at the grassroots.

The Chairman of the Social Democratic Party in Ogun State,  Yinka Williams, urged OGSIEC to do everything possible to convince political parties that the election would be free and fair.

“There should be voters’ registration, which is very important to this election,” Williams said.

Present at the stakeholders’ meeting were representatives of security agencies, traditional rulers and political parties,  among others.