Aiyedatiwa declares Friday public holiday for Ondo LG elections

Lucky Aiyedatiwa, governor of Ondo, has declared Friday as a public holiday ahead of the LG elections in the state.

The Ondo state Independent Electoral Commission (ODIEC) has fixed Saturday, January 18, for the conduct of the elections across the 18 LGAs.

In a statement, Ebenezer Adeniyan, the governor’s chief press secretary, said the holiday will allow the electorate to make trips to their respective LGAs to exercise their franchise.

Aiyedatiwa asked citizens to prioritise peace and collaboration during the elections, stressing the need for unity and cooperation among all political parties involved.

“The local government election in Ondo State has been scheduled by the Ondo State Independent Electoral Commission (ODIEC) to hold on Saturday, 18th of January 2025,” the statement reads.

“To this end, the Ondo state government has declared Friday, 17th of January 2025, as a work-free day for public servants in the state to enable them to travel to their various communities to exercise their civic responsibilities.

“Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa urges all stakeholders to ensure a free, fair, and peaceful local government election across the state.”

Earlier today, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ondo announced its withdrawal from the council polls, citing that the electoral umpire cannot be trusted to conduct a free and fair election.

In the same vein, the state’s electoral body assured that the PDP’s withdrawal would not disrupt the election process.

Also, the Ondo police command announced the restriction of vehicular movement during the poll.

Funmilayo Odunlami, the command’s spokesperson, said the restriction would begin at 6 am and last till 4 pm on Saturday, adding that security operatives have been deployed to ensure compliance.