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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 fundamentally flawed.

The opposition party also alleged that the poll was conducted in defiance of existing court judgments and orders.

The party’s State Publicity Secretary and spokesperson, Prince Darlington Peter Onwe, disclosed the position during a press conference held in Abakaliki on Saturday.

According to the PDP, the election amounted to a ‘mono-party’ exercise because opposition parties were allegedly denied the opportunity to participate effectively in the process.

The party argued that an election conducted under such circumstances could not result in legitimately elected local government councils.

The opposition party referenced Section 7(1) of the 1999 Constitution, which provides for the local government system, as well as Sections 14(2)(a) and (c), which recognise popular sovereignty and citizens’ participation in governance.

The PDP also relied on the Supreme Court judgment in Attorney-General of the Federation vs Attorney-General of Abia State & 35 Others, arguing that constitutional recognition and direct federal allocations are meant for democratically elected local government councils.

The party further questioned the legality of the two-year tenure provided for local government chairmen and councillors under the amended Ebonyi State Local Government Law No. 005.

It argued that the provision conflicts with the Constitution and relevant Supreme Court pronouncements concerning the tenure of elected local government officials.

According to the PDP, an election conducted under what it considers a defective legal framework cannot confer legitimacy on the resulting office holders.

The party recalled that the Federal High Court in Abakaliki nullified the local government election held in 2022 over alleged violations of the Electoral Act and failure to provide a level playing field for contestants.

It added that the Court of Appeal, Enugu Division, subsequently upheld the judgment.

The PDP also alleged that another local government election conducted by EBSIEC on July 20, 2024, was nullified by the Federal High Court in Abakaliki in October 2025.

The party said Justice H.I.O. Oshomah, who presided over the case, nullified the election involving 13 chairmen and 171 councillors.

According to the PDP, the court also restrained EBSIEC and the Ebonyi State Government from conducting another local government election unless the process complied with the Constitution and the Electoral Act.

The opposition party maintained that the order remains valid, claiming that it has neither been set aside nor stayed.

It therefore described the decision to proceed with another election despite the alleged subsisting order as “contempt” and a violation of the rule of law.

The PDP warned that any local government administration produced through what it described as an unconstitutional process could face legal challenges.

It also raised concerns that such councils could encounter difficulties accessing allocations from the Federal Government.

The party recalled that previous legal disputes surrounding local government elections in Ebonyi had affected the release of federal allocations to the councils.

It warned that a similar situation could have serious consequences for grassroots development across the state’s 13 local government areas.

The opposition party further criticised the use of public funds for what it described as a legally defective electoral process.

It argued that such resources would have been better deployed to critical sectors such as healthcare, education and infrastructure.

The PDP consequently called on EBSIEC to halt the election process and comply with all existing court orders before conducting another local government poll.

It also demanded changes to the state’s local government law to ensure that the tenure of elected officials conforms with the Constitution and relevant judicial decisions.

The party urged the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to take note of the development and called on the Ebonyi State Government to comply with all outstanding judicial orders concerning local government administration.

The PDP further disclosed that it reserved the right to challenge the election before a competent court.

It also said it could pursue contempt proceedings against individuals or authorities it believes knowingly disregarded existing judicial pronouncements.

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