The Abia State Independent Electoral Commission (ABSIEC) has released its timetable for the upcoming local government chairmanship and councillorship elections, scheduled for November 2, 2024.
This announcement, made on Saturday, has raised concerns among party leaders about their ability to meet the tight deadlines.
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The elections will see new council chairpersons and 184 councillors elected across Abia’s 17 local government areas.
However, during a meeting that involved representatives of 19 political parties, security personnel, members of the State House of Assembly, and other observers, several political parties expressed reservations about the compressed timeline.
Prof. George N. Chima, Chairman of ABSIEC, outlined the detailed schedule, starting with the issuance of the election notice on September 21, 2024.
Party primaries are set to take place from September 25 to October 4, 2024, while the deadline for submitting candidate lists is October 7, 2024.
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Candidate screening by ABSIEC will occur between October 8 and October 10, with the hearing of appeals following on October 11 and 12.
The final list of candidates will be published on October 16, and campaigns will run from October 18 to October 31, ahead of the elections on November 2, 2024.
In his remarks, Prof. Chima emphasized the critical role of local government in fostering grassroots democracy.
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He stressed ABSIEC’s commitment to conducting free, fair, and credible elections, assuring attendees that the commission would uphold the highest standards of impartiality and transparency.
“Our mission is to change the narrative and ensure that these elections are no longer business as usual,” Chima stated.
Despite the commission’s assurances, party leaders at the meeting voiced several concerns, including the credibility of council members overseeing the process, the lack of clarity on the cost of nomination forms, and their exclusion from consultations in planning the timetable.
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Some also criticized the late release of the election calendar, which they argued left insufficient time for adequate preparation.
Responding to these concerns, Chima declined to provide specific budgetary details but reassured attendees that all necessary security measures would be in place to ensure a smooth electoral process.
He also promised that further information on the cost of election forms would be released in due course.
The unveiling of the electoral timetable marks the beginning of preparations for what is expected to be a highly competitive local government election, with political parties eager to secure leadership at the grassroots level.
