Court sacks all LG chairs, councillors, declares election unconstitutional

The court noted that the Ebonyi State Independent Electoral Commission (EBSIEC) failed to comply with the provisions of the Electoral Act.

The Ebonyi Division of the Federal High Court in Ebonyi has sacked the 13 council chairmen and 171 councillors in the state, declaring their elections in July 2024 as “unconstitutional.”

The court noted that the Ebonyi State Independent Electoral Commission (EBSIEC) failed to comply with the provisions of the Electoral Act.

The presiding judge, Justice Hilary Oshomah, in his judgment on Tuesday in Abakaliki, noted that the election, which produced them, did not conform to the provisions of the Electoral Act.

Mr Oshomah, therefore, cancelled the elections and urged the EBSIEC and the state government, who were the second and third respondents, to conduct further elections with the provisions of the constitution.

Hamilton Ogbodo, counsel to the first plaintiff, Samuel Udeogu, expressed happiness over the court ruling that sacked the council chairmen and the councillors.

“So, in effect, the local government election that was conducted in July 2024 in the state is no more there; it has been cancelled by the court.

“If the second and third defendants want to do what the law says they should do, they should revert to the status quo and obey the court order.

“We are waiting for them because the time within which they can appeal this judgement is still running, and when it expires, we will know what to do.

“We expect them to obey the court order. The court has done exactly what the law says it should do because these things are in black and white,” Mr Ogbodo said.

Also, Mudi Erhenede, counsel to Isu Amaechi, who is the second plaintiff, commended the judgment.

“I commend Justice Oshomah’s ruling on the 2024 local government and councilorship elections in the state and urge the court to make available the judgment within a possible time,” Mr Erhenede said.

(NAN)