The National Rescue Movement (NRM) has filed a lawsuit against the Ogun State Independent Election Commission (OGSIEC) regarding the fees imposed on candidates for the upcoming local government elections on November 16.
According to reports, the Commission’s Chairman, Babatunde Osibodu, announced that each chairmanship candidate must pay a fee of N250,000, while councillorship candidates are charged N150,000. Female councillorship candidates are required to pay N100,000.
The NRM argues that these charges are illegal and violates candidates’ rights under the 1999 Constitution. They also contest the election timetable, claiming that OGSIEC did not provide adequate notice or hold consultations with all registered political parties before announcing it.
The case, marked AB/741/2024, was heard in the state High Court by Justice S.O. Adeniyi on Wednesday, with OGSIEC as the first defendant and the Attorney General as the second. The NRM’s lawyer, Adekola Adedeji, asked the court to determine if the fees violate constitutional rights and are inconsistent with both the Nigerian Constitution and the Ogun State Electoral Law.
The NRM is seeking several outcomes from the court, including:
- A declaration that the fees of N250,000, N150,000, and N100,000 are illegal and unconstitutional.
- An injunction preventing OGSIEC from conducting the elections based on the current electoral guidelines.
- A cancellation of the fees imposed on candidates.
- A postponement of the elections to a later date after proper consultation with all political parties and stakeholders.
In his ruling, Justice Adeniyi stated that the matter will be resolved before the election date. He ordered the respondents to file their defense within 72 hours, while the NRM has two days to reply. The next hearing is scheduled for November 8.
