Court Nullifies Ebonyi LG Poll, Sacks 13 Council Chairmen

The Federal High Court sitting in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, on Tuesday nullified the July 2024 local government and councillorship elections that produced the current 13 council chairmen and councillors in the state.

Delivering judgment, Justice H.I.O. Oshomah held that the conduct of the polls by the Ebonyi State Independent Electoral Commission failed to comply with the provisions of the Electoral Act and was therefore invalid.

The court consequently voided the elections and ordered EBSIEC and the state government not to conduct further council polls except strictly in line with the 1999 Constitution and the Electoral Act.

The judgment followed a suit filed by two plaintiffs — Mr. Samuel Udeogu and Mr. Isu Amaechi — through their counsel, Hamilton Ogbodo and Chief Mudi Erhenede, respectively.

Ogbodo, reacting to the ruling, said the verdict effectively sacked all serving local government chairmen and councillors in the state.

So, in effect, the local government election that was conducted in July 2024 in Ebonyi State is no more; it has been cancelled by this Federal High Court today,” Ogbodo said.

He urged the state government to obey the court’s decision or face contempt proceedings after the appeal window closes.

On his part, Erhenede noted that Tuesday’s ruling reaffirmed an earlier judgment by the late Justice Fatun Riman, which nullified the 2022 local government elections in the state—a decision the government ignored by going ahead to swear in chairmen and councillors.

“This is a question of people who don’t want to believe in or obey the rule of law,” he said. “The Federal High Court had earlier nullified the 2022 local government elections, but the state, in defiance of that judgment, still went ahead to conduct and swear in chairmen in 2024. Today’s ruling has once again affirmed that illegality cannot stand.”

Source: PUNCH