Governor Rotimi Akeredolu had, upon assumption of office, immediately dissolved the council bosses and councillors, on the premise that they were illegally elected into office by Mimiko.
The Ondo State Independent Electoral Commission (ODIEC), on Wednesday, said it would conduct the Local Government election in the state on December 1, 2018.
The election would be conducted into the 18 Local Government Areas which make up the state, despite litigation in court by the sacked councils’ bosses elected under the former administration of ex-Governor Olusegun Mimiko.
Governor Rotimi Akeredolu had, upon assumption of office, immediately dissolved the council bosses and councillors, on the premise that they were illegally elected into office by Mimiko.
Yomi Dinakin, Chairman of ODIEC, who made the disclosure on Wednesday at the commission's office in Akure, the state capital, said they were preparing to conduct a smooth local council poll.
Prof. Dinakin explained that Section 30 of the Electoral Act, 2010 (as amended) and Schedule 4 Paragraph 1 of Local Government, Establishment and Administration Law (Cap 87) Laws of Ondo State empowers the body to conduct the election.
He said the sensitisation of the electorate, who will participate in the election, would be carry out in collaboration with the National Orientation Agency (NOA) in the state.
He assured that the state electoral commission was ready to conduct a credible and transparent election, noting that the commission would not deploy the card readers.
The ODIEC chairman ruled out any manipulation of the election results in favour of ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state and also promised to be fair to all the parties.
"The commission will be totally independent; everybody will participate in the election. We are not going to be guided by the government. All we need is for the government to release the funds to us.
"We will follow the time-table to the letter. We will follow the rules and regulations and we will conduct a credible local government election. We are not going to be tele-guided," he added.
Dinakin, who reeled out the 2018 guidelines for the election, said the chairmanship aspirants are to pay a nomination fee of N50,000, while those seeking councillorship positions are to pay a non-refundable nomination fee of N20,000.