Edo Assembly orders EDSIEC to conduct council by-election for vacant seats

The Edo State House of Assembly has passed a resolution directing the Edo State Independent Electoral Commission (EDSIEC) to conduct by-election to fill the vacant councillors positions in different wards of the local government areas of the state. 

Some of the affected councillors, the legislators claimed, abandoned their duty posts since January 2025, an action deemed to have grossly contravened Section 12(1) of the 2000 Local Government Law of Edo State

The claim, Nigerian Tribune gathered, is not unconnected to the crisis that hit the 18 local government areas of the state when the newly inaugurated government of Governor Monday Okpebholo suspected the chairmen, an action majority of the councillors kicked against. 

The adoption of the resolution was sequel to the consideration of a motion moved by the Majority Leader, Jonathan Ibhamahu and seconded by Addeh Isibor.

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Ibhamahu said that the legislative arm of government was very fundamental in local government administration in a democracy. 

“But in Edo, we are having a situation where councillors elected by their people abandoned their duty posts for reasons best known to them. The essence of democracy is no longer felt in these wards.” Ibhamahu said.

He added that meaningful development could not take place at the affected wards when elected councillors abandon their duty post, adding that the people at the affected wards had been denied the dividends of democracy by such actions.

Citing section 12(1) and section 16 of the Local Government Law 2000 of Edo State, which states that a councillor’s seat can only be declared vacant when he or she fails to meet 1/3 of the meetings held in the council in the calendar year, the Majority Leader maintained that the councillors had been away from January till date, and EDSIEC must immediately conduct by-election into the various wards in the state.

Also speaking, Isibor stated that the law specified the number of days, as quoted by the Majority Leader of the House, that the councillors could be absent from meetings at the council before their seats could be declared vacant, adding that their actions were seriously damaging and harming local government administration in the state. 

During deliberation on the motion, majority of the lawmakers spoke in favour of the directive on EDSIEC to immediately conduct by-election into the affected wards. The motion was unanimously carried when put to vote.

Earlier, the House announced the receipt of a letter from the Office of the Governor presenting five additional names as commissioner-nominees and four nominees as Chairman and members of the Edo state Civil Service Commission for screening and confirmation by the House. 

Meanwhile, the House on Monday passed the bill for a law to repeal the Edo State Gaming Law 2020 and to enact a law to provide for the Edo State Lottery, Establishment of the Edo State Lottery Regulatory Commission and the Edo State Lottery Trust Fund.

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