By Friday Idachaba, Lokoja.
KOGI State Independent Electoral Commission (SIEC) has scheduled October 19, for the conduct of elections into the 21 Local Government Councils in the state.
This is coming on the heels of the recent judgement of the Supreme Court granting financial autonomy to Local Government Councils in the country and making Caretaker Committees at the third tier of government illegal.
Chairman of the Commission, Mamman Nda Eri disclosed this while presenting the Timetable and Schedule of Activities to stakeholders at Riverton Hotels, Lokoja on Tuesday.
Eri said that the programme which has 90 days duration culminating in Council election is “In accordance with the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) and the powers vested in the State Independent Electoral Commission (SIEC).
“I hereby formally present the Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the conduct of the 2024 Local Government Elections In Kogi State which will be scheduled for 19″ October, 2024 by the grace of God”, Eri said.
According to the Guidelines released by the Commission, a Person shall be qualified to contest the Local Government Council Election as Chairman or Councillor if he is a citizen of Nigeria and educated up to at least the Secondary School Certificate or its equivalent.
The Guideline stipulated that the contestants who must be sponsored and nominated by registered political parties must have attained the age of 30 years and 25 years for Chairmen and Councillors respectively.
The candidates are to make a deposit of N100,000 for Councillors and N250,000 for Chairmen to the Commission with evidence of tax payment for a period of three consecutive years immediately preceding the year of the election. (Ends)