Court sacks LG men
A Federal High Court sitting in Abakaliki has nullified the July 2024 local government elections in Ebonyi State, which produced 13 council chairmen and 171 councillors.
The court, presided over by Justice Hillary Oshomah, ruled that the elections conducted by the Ebonyi State Independent Electoral Commission (EBSIEC) violated the provisions of the 2022 Electoral Act.
The legal action was filed by two residents of the state, Samuel Udeogu and Amaechi Isu, who challenged the validity of the exercise.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), EBSIEC, Governor Francis Nwifuru, and the Ebonyi State Government were joined as defendants in the suit.
In his judgment, Justice Oshomah declared the elections invalid and ordered that no further local government or councillorship election should be held in the state unless conducted in line with the constitution and the Electoral Act.
The ruling effectively sacked the council chairmen and councillors who were declared winners under the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The judgment follows a similar case in 2022 when another Federal High Court in Abakaliki, then presided over by late Justice Fatun Riman, also voided that year’s council elections for breaching the electoral law.
That earlier decision was upheld by the Court of Appeal in May 2025.
In a related development, the Edo State Government has ordered all Heads of Local Government Administration (HoLGAs) in its 18 councils to proceed on compulsory leave with immediate effect.
The directive was issued in Benin City by the Chairman of the Edo State Local Government Service Commission, Kabiru Adjoto, after a review of council operations carried out under Governor Monday Okpebholo’s “Shine Agenda.”
The move, according to the commission, aims to reorganize the local government system and improve accountability and service delivery across the state.
Adjoto explained that the commission toured all local councils and decided to send the HoLGAs on leave to allow a fair and independent assessment of their performance.
He instructed them to hand over their duties to the Directors of Administration and General Services (DAGS) in their respective local governments pending further instructions.
