The Ekiti State Government has approved the payment of N458.8 million as severance benefits to former political office holders at the local government level across the state.
The approval was disclosed on Sunday by the Commissioner for Local Government Affairs, Mr Folorunso Olabode, in a statement issued in Ado Ekiti. According to him, the beneficiaries are political office holders who served in the 16 local government areas of the state between 2022 and 2023.
Olabode explained that the severance package covers a wide range of council officials who held political appointments during the period under review. These include vice chairmen, secretaries to local governments, councillors, supervisors and advisers.
“The Ekiti State Government has approved the sum of N458,793,960 as severance benefits for local government political office holders in the state,” the commissioner said. “The amount is for political office holders who served between 2022 and 2023 across the 16 local government areas of the state.”
He noted that the payment is in line with existing laws and guidelines governing the entitlements of political office holders at the grassroots level, adding that the government remains committed to fulfilling its statutory obligations.
The approval comes at a time when preparations are already underway for the next round of local government elections in the state. Last week, the Ekiti State Independent Electoral Commission (EKSIEC) announced that council elections would hold across the state on December 12, 2026.
With the tenure of the incumbent local government chairmen and councillors expected to expire in December 2026, the forthcoming polls are anticipated to usher in a new set of political office holders at the local council level.
Announcing the election date, the Chairman of EKSIEC, Justice Cornelius Akintayo (retd.), said the commission was acting in line with its legal mandate. He cited Section 5, Sub-section 1 of the EKSIEC (Fourth Amendment) Law No. 13 of 2025 as the legal basis for the announcement.
“Notice is hereby given that the Local Government and Local Council Development Areas elections will take place between the hours of 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Saturday, December 12, 2026, in Ekiti State,” Akintayo stated.
He also called on all registered political parties to collect nomination forms for their candidates at the headquarters of the commission, signalling the formal commencement of preparations for the polls.
The approval of the severance benefits is expected to generate public debate, particularly against the backdrop of economic challenges facing the country and growing calls for prudence in public spending. However, government officials insist that the payment reflects the state’s commitment to due process and respect for the entitlements of those who served at the local government level.
As Ekiti moves closer to the 2026 council elections, attention is likely to focus on governance at the grassroots, fiscal discipline and the conduct of credible polls across the state.
