Ogun LG Poll: OGSIEC Berated for Imposing ‘Administrative Fees’ on Candidates

A human rights lawyer, Moruff Balogun, has berated the Ogun State Independent Electoral Commission (OGSIEC) for imposing ‘administrative fees’ on aspirants seeking to contest the forthcoming Council elections in the state.

OGSIEC has slated local government elections in the State for Saturday, November 2024, and also asked chairmanship candidates to pay N250,000, while N150,000 for councillorship (male) and N100,000 for councillorship (female) as administrative fees.

Reacting to the imposition of the administrative fees on candidates by OGSIEC in a release made available to Vanguard in Abeokuta, Balogun asked OGSIEC to withdraw all administrative fees being imposed on political parties or their candidates immediately.

Balogun, who is the immediate past Vice Chairman, Nigerian Bar Association, Ijebu-Ode, branch, warned that if the fees were not withdrawn within 7 days, he would not hesitate to challenge the alleged illegality in court.

He said the development to have the elections in November, 2024 followed the recent Supreme Court judgment on the autonomy of the local governments in Nigeria, but stressed that the commission which is a creation of law cannot do anything or take any step or decision that could be deemed as antithetical to the law that gave birth to it.

Balogun stated, “The Apex Court re-affirmed the provision of section 7(1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) stating that only the democratically elected persons can man and parade themselves as Chairmen of local government councils in Nigeria.

“The introduction of the fees called “administrative fees” i.e N250,000 for chairmanship candidates, N150,000 for councillorship (male) and N100,000 councillorship (female) is what the OGSIEC should withdraw with immediate effect.

“The commission is the creation of the law, and cannot do anything or take any step/decision that is antithetical to the law creating it.

“The Ogun State Independent Electoral Commission Law, 2006 is clear and explicit on the funds of the commission.

“Section 18(1) of the said law provides: “The funds of the commission shall consist of such sums as the state government may from time to time provide”.

“OGSIEC should not make it look as if the political parties or their candidates were the ones funding the commission. He who pays the piper calls the tune.

“We are ready to challenge the so called administrative fees in court if not withdrawn by OGSIEC within the next 7 days.

“The commission should learn from the decision of Governor Dapo Abiodun, who ordered the refund and further suspension of the N10,000 application fees for jobs.”