The Ogun State Independent Electoral Commission, on Monday, debunked the notice of the next local government elections scheduled to be held on Saturday, October 26, 2024.

The purported statement was said to have been signed by the Chairman of OGSIEC, Babatunde Osibodu, dated Wednesday, July 24, and flooded social media on Sunday.

The Special Adviser on Media and Strategy to Governor Dapo Abiodun, Mr Kayode Akinmade, has, however, told our correspondent that the statement was fake news and should be disregarded by the residents of the state.

Responding, Osibodu said on Monday that the statement had never originated from the agency.

The statement partly reads, “Ogun State Independent Electoral Commission (OGSIEC) has become aware of an unsigned document circulating on social media purporting to be a Notice of Election and timetable for the 2024 Local Government Elections for chairmanship and councillorship positions in the state.

“The commission wishes to inform all relevant stakeholders and the general public that this information is false and did not originate from OGSIEC and should, therefore, be disregarded.

“All necessary notices and other information concerning the 2024 Local Government Elections will be provided by the Commission in due course and will be duly signed by the chairman of the commission or other authorised signatories.”

The present elected local government officials in the state were elected on July 24, 2021, sworn in on July 26, 2021, and will be completing their three-year tenure by Friday, July 26.

The recent Supreme Court judgment barred the usual practice of appointing a caretaker committee by the state governors to run the affairs of the local government.

The apex court has equally insisted on having a democratically elected government at the local government and that a local government without a democratically elected government won’t be able to have access to the monthly allocation from the Federal Government.

PUNCH