The Ebonyi Division of the Federal High Court in Abakaliki has nullified the elections of 13 council chairmen and 171 councillors in the state, declaring the July 2024 local government elections “unconstitutional.”
Justice Hilary Oshomah, who delivered the judgment on Tuesday, noted that the Ebonyi State Independent Electoral Commission (EBSIEC) failed to comply with the provisions of the Electoral Act in conducting the polls. The judge emphasized that the elections which produced the council officials did not conform to legal requirements, prompting their annulment.
The court directed the EBSIEC and the Ebonyi State government, the second and third respondents in the suit, to conduct fresh elections in strict compliance with constitutional provisions.
Reacting to the ruling, Hamilton Ogbodo, counsel to the first plaintiff, Samuel Udeogu, described the judgment as a victory for the rule of law. “The local government election conducted in July 2024 is null and void. The defendants must now revert to the status quo and comply with the court order,” he stated. Ogbodo added that the period for appeal was still ongoing and that further steps would be taken depending on whether the respondents respect the ruling.
Similarly, Mudi Erhenede, counsel to the second plaintiff, Isu Amaechi, praised the judgment, urging the court to release the full ruling promptly. “I commend Justice Oshomah’s decision on the 2024 local government and councilorship elections and look forward to access to the complete judgment,” he said.
