Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of Ondo State has declared Friday, January 17, 2025, as a public holiday ahead of the local government elections scheduled for Saturday, January 18.

In a statement issued by Ebenezer Adeniyan, the governor’s chief press secretary, the holiday is intended to give citizens ample time to travel to their respective local government areas to cast their votes.

“The local government election in Ondo State has been scheduled by the Ondo State Independent Electoral Commission (ODIEC) to hold on Saturday, 18th of January 2025,” the statement read. “To this end, the Ondo state government has declared Friday, 17th of January 2025, as a work-free day for public servants in the state to enable them to travel to their various communities to exercise their civic responsibilities.”

Governor Aiyedatiwa urged all stakeholders to prioritize peace and cooperation, emphasizing the importance of unity among political parties to ensure a smooth electoral process.

Meanwhile, earlier today, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) announced its withdrawal from the polls, citing concerns over ODIEC’s ability to conduct a credible election. Despite the PDP’s exit, the electoral body reassured the public that the elections would proceed as planned.

In a related development, the Ondo State police command has announced a restriction of vehicular movement on election day. Funmilayo Odunlami, the command’s spokesperson, confirmed that the restriction will be enforced from 6:00 am to 4:00 pm on Saturday. Security personnel have been deployed across the state to ensure adherence to the directive and to maintain order during the voting process.