PDP rejects Ebonyi LG election, accuses EBSIEC of defying court orders

By Jude Opara

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ebonyi State has rejected the local government election conducted by the Ebonyi State Independent Electoral Commission (EBSIEC), describing the exercise as unconstitutional and legally defective.

The party alleged that EBSIEC conducted the poll in violation of existing court judgments and orders, while also accusing the electoral body of creating conditions that prevented opposition parties from effectively participating.

The PDP State Publicity Secretary, Prince Darlington Peter Onwe, stated the party’s position at a press conference in Abakaliki on Saturday.

According to him, the election amounted to a “mono-party” exercise and could not produce legitimate democratic local government councils where opposition parties were allegedly denied a level playing field.

The party anchored its position on Section 7(1) of the 1999 Constitution, as well as constitutional provisions guaranteeing popular participation in government. It also cited the Supreme Court’s decision in Attorney-General of the Federation v. Attorney-General of Abia State & 35 Others on the constitutional status of democratically elected local government councils.

The PDP further challenged the legality of the two-year tenure prescribed for local government chairmen and councilors under the amended Ebonyi State Local Government Law No. 005, arguing that the provision conflicts with the Constitution and relevant judicial pronouncements.

The opposition party also referred to previous court cases involving local government elections in the state. It recalled that the Federal High Court in Abakaliki nullified the 2022 council election over alleged violations of electoral laws and lack of a level playing field, a decision it said was later affirmed by the Court of Appeal in Enugu.

The PDP also claimed that the July 20, 2024 local government election was subsequently nullified by the Federal High Court in October 2025.

According to the party, Justice H.I.O. Oshomah’s judgment not only voided the election involving 13 chairmen and 171 councilors but also restrained EBSIEC and the state government from conducting another poll without complying with constitutional and electoral requirements.

The PDP maintained that the order remains valid, alleging that it has neither been set aside nor stayed.

It consequently described the latest election as an act of contempt and an alleged challenge to the authority of the judiciary.

The opposition warned that the legality of any local government administration emerging from the election could be challenged in court and potentially affect access to federal allocations.

The PDP recalled that previous legal disputes over council elections in Ebonyi had affected the release of funds to local governments, warning that a similar situation could undermine development across the state’s 13 local government areas.

The party also questioned the use of public funds for an election it considers legally defective, arguing that such resources would have been better deployed to healthcare, education and infrastructure.

The PDP called on EBSIEC to halt the process and comply with existing judicial orders before conducting any further local government election. It also demanded amendments to the state’s local government law to align the tenure of elected officials with the Constitution and applicable court decisions.

The party urged INEC to take note of the situation and called on the Ebonyi State Government to comply with all outstanding court orders concerning local government administration.

The PDP said it was prepared to challenge the election in court and pursue contempt proceedings against any individuals or authorities it believes knowingly disregarded subsisting judicial orders.