Court nullifies Ebonyi local government, councillorship election few days to swearing-in

A Federal High Court sitting in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital, has nullified the local government and councillorship elections that produced All Progressives Congress (APC) candidates as winners in all the 13 local governments in the state.

The local government chairmanship and councilorship elections were conducted on July 30.

But according to the judgement, the election conducted last month was nullified for non-compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act, 2022.

The court nullified the elections for also making the laws under which they were conducted secret.

The chairmen were to be sworn in on September 1 before the judgement of the Federal High Court.

Otu Collins Eleri, Hon Nelson Eze, Akaa Ikechikwu, Micheal Ali, and Isu Amaechi had dragged the electoral umpire, EBSIEC and the government to court for not giving all the aspirants a level playing field during the election.

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The presiding judge, Justice Fatun Riman, in Suit No: FHC/AI/CS/151, said it is undemocratic and unlawful to conduct an election in the local government areas or council without availing the plaintiffs of the exact law that is meant to regulate the exercise.

While speaking, the Council to the Plaintiffs, Chief Mudi Erhenede, said the processes that produced the chairmen were not transparent.

Meanwhile, the Special Assistant to Governor David Umahi on Media and Strategy Chief Chooks Oko, in a statement said, “The attention of the Executive Governor of Ebonyi State, David N. Umahi has been drawn to the curious ruling of the Federal High Court sitting in Abakaliki Thursday nullifying the July 30, 2022, local government elections held across the state.

“It is on record that none of the grounds of the litigants included nullification of the election, but the court bizarrely came up with such an order.

“The election generally acknowledged as peaceful and orderly, produced our incoming leaders at the local government level having followed all laid-down procedures to the letter.

“Being law-abiding, the governor enjoins all Ebonyians to go about their businesses peacefully while our lawyers study the judgement to determine the best way forward.

“His belief in the judiciary as the bastion of justice and equity remains unshaken.”