The Federal High Court sitting in Abakaliki has nullified the July 2024 local government elections in Ebonyi State, effectively removing all 13 council chairmen and councillors from office.
Justice H.I.O. Oshomah, who delivered the judgment on Tuesday, held that the Ebonyi State Independent Electoral Commission failed to comply with provisions of the Electoral Act in conducting the polls.
The court declared the elections invalid and ordered EBSIEC and the state government not to conduct further council polls except in strict compliance with the 1999 Constitution and the Electoral Act.
Two plaintiffs, Mr Samuel Udeogu and Mr Isu Amaechi, had filed the suit through their counsel, Hamilton Ogbodo and Chief Mudi Erhenede, respectively.
Reacting to the ruling, Ogbodo said the verdict had effectively sacked all serving local government chairmen and councillors in the state.
“So, in effect, the local government election that was conducted in July 2024 in Ebonyi State is no more; it has been cancelled by this Federal High Court today,” Ogbodo said.
He urged the state government to obey the court’s decision or face contempt proceedings after the appeal window closes.
Erhenede noted that Tuesday’s ruling reaffirmed an earlier judgment by the late Justice Fatun Riman, which nullified the 2022 local government elections in the state—a decision the government ignored by proceeding to swear in chairmen and councillors.
“This is a question of people who don’t want to believe in or obey the rule of law,” he said. “The Federal High Court had earlier nullified the 2022 local government elections, but the state, in defiance of that judgment, still went ahead to conduct and swear in chairmen in 2024. Today’s ruling has once again affirmed that illegality cannot stand.”
The judgment raises fresh concerns about electoral compliance in Ebonyi State, particularly following the government’s alleged disregard for the 2022 court decision.
