EDSIEC Defies Court Order, Conducts By-Elections in Edo
EDSIEC Defies Court Order, Conducts By-Elections in Edo
The Edo State Independent Electoral Commission (EDSIEC) on Saturday defied a court order and went ahead to conduct by-elections for councillorship positions across the state.
The exercise, which held in 59 wards across 15 local government areas, was boycotted by nearly all opposition parties, leaving the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) as the sole major participant.
The by-elections followed a resolution of the Edo State House of Assembly, which directed EDSIEC to fill vacant councillorship seats created by the protracted local government crisis that rocked the state during the early months of Governor Monday Okpebholo’s administration.
However, the legality of the polls had been thrown into controversy earlier in the week. On Tuesday, September 16, Justice Mary Itsueli of the Edo State High Court, sitting as a vacation judge, granted an interim order restraining EDSIEC from proceeding with the by-elections. The order was issued in response to an ex-parte motion filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which challenged the commission’s competence and authority to conduct the exercise under the prevailing circumstances.
Despite the subsisting court order, EDSIEC proceeded with the elections, sparking outrage from the PDP and raising questions over respect for judicial pronouncements in the state.
Observers noted low voter turnout in many polling units, with reports indicating that in some wards, electoral officials and security operatives outnumbered voters.
The PDP and other opposition parties have since described the exercise as “illegal and contemptuous,” vowing to pursue further legal action.
As of press time, EDSIEC had yet to release official results of the elections.
The state government and the ruling APC have also not issued formal statements on the conduct of the polls.
The development is expected to heighten political tension in Edo, as critics warn that EDSIEC’s decision could deepen mistrust in local electoral processes and set a worrying precedent for future elections.
