Edo suspends April 19 LG elections over court order

Following a ruling by an Abuja Federal High Court, the Edo State Independent Electoral Commission (EDSIEC) has suspended the elections into the 18 council areas of the state scheduled for April 19.

The state’s electoral body, in statement issued in Benin on Friday and endorsed by Emmanuel Abebe on behalf of the Chairman of EDSIEC, said the suspension was due to the restraining order by the Federal High Court, Abuja, on the Edo State Independent Electoral Commission.

The commission said all processes leading to the conduct of the elections had been suspended pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.

The statement reads: “It is hereby announced for the information of the general public that due to the content of the publication by which the Federal High Court Abuja restrained the Edo State Independent Electoral Commission from conducting the local government elections in the state scheduled for 19th April 2022, all processes leading to the conduct of the said elections are hereby suspended pending the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice.”

It would be recallede that Justice Taiwo Taiwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Tuesday granted an order of interim injunction restraining the EDOSIEC from going ahead with the planned council elections slated.

The order followed an ex-parte application filed by Irene Sylvester, Ayoboh Francis, Edogun Toyin and Ogioba Kelvin, praying the court to restrain the state electoral body from conducting elections into the councils in Edo State.