The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ebonyi State has rejected the local government election conducted by the Ebonyi State Independent Electoral Commission (EBSIEC), alleging that the exercise breached existing court orders and failed to meet constitutional requirements.
The opposition party made its position known on Saturday through its State Publicity Secretary, Prince Darlington Peter Onwe, during a press briefing in Abakaliki.
The PDP alleged that the election was conducted in a manner that gave opposition parties little or no opportunity to participate fully. The party argued that such a process could not produce councils that would meet the requirements for democratic local government administration.
The party based its argument on Section 7 of the 1999 Constitution, which provides for democratically elected local government councils. It also referred to constitutional provisions that recognise the role of citizens in government and cited a Supreme Court judgment involving the Federal Government and several state governments on the status of elected local councils.
The PDP also questioned the two-year tenure provided for local government chairmen and councillors under the amended Ebonyi State Local Government Law No. 005. According to the party, the provision does not agree with the Constitution and previous judicial decisions concerning the tenure of elected local government officials.
The opposition party further recalled previous court cases involving local government elections in Ebonyi State.
It said the Federal High Court in Abakaliki cancelled the 2022 local government election after finding issues relating to compliance with electoral laws and the participation of contestants. The PDP added that the Court of Appeal in Enugu later upheld the decision.
The party also referred to the local government election conducted by EBSIEC on July 20, 2024, which it said was later nullified by the Federal High Court in October 2025.
According to the PDP, the court, presided over by Justice H.I.O. Oshomah, cancelled the election involving 13 chairmen and 171 councillors. The party said the court also stopped EBSIEC and the state government from conducting another local government election until the relevant constitutional and electoral requirements were followed.
The PDP maintained that the order had not been cancelled or suspended and therefore argued that the latest election was conducted despite the court’s directive.
The party warned that the new local government councils could face legal challenges if the election is eventually declared invalid. It also raised concerns that a disputed council structure could affect access to federal allocations.
The opposition party recalled that earlier disputes over local government elections in the state had affected the release of funds to councils. It warned that another legal crisis could have consequences for development across Ebonyi’s 13 local government areas.
The PDP also criticised the use of public funds for an election it considers legally defective. It argued that government resources should instead be used for areas such as healthcare, education, roads and other basic services.
The party called on EBSIEC to halt further steps arising from the election and comply with existing court orders before conducting another local government poll.
It also asked the Ebonyi State Government to amend the local government law to ensure that the tenure of elected officials agrees with the Constitution and relevant court decisions.
The PDP further urged the Independent National Electoral Commission to take note of the development and called on the state government to obey all outstanding judicial orders concerning local government administration.
The party said it was prepared to approach the courts to challenge the election and could also pursue contempt proceedings against individuals or authorities it believes deliberately acted against valid court orders.
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