APC clears 13 local councils, 171 wards in Ebonyi LG poll

The All Progressives Congress, APC in Ebonyi state has cleared all the 13 council areas and 171 wards during the August 22, 2026 Local government elections in the state

The son of Minister of Works, David Umahi, Osborn, was among the winners of the election for Ohaozara local government election .

Announcing the results in Abakaliki, the Chairman of EBSIEC, Mr Patrick Enyi noted that other political parties participated in the election.

He described the outcome of the election as peaceful, credible and transparent.

Other winners included: Ishielu LG (Mrs Peace Agwu); Ohaukwu (Hon. Paul Ituma); Ezza North (Friday Nwuhuo); Ezza South (Chinedu Mkpuma); Ikwo (Hon. Chidi Nwode); Afikpo (Engr Timothy Nwachi).

Onicha (Ikechukwu Ogbofia); Ivo (Michael Kalu Anyim); Edda (Chief Simeon Onuoha); Izzi (Mrs Helen Aduga) Abakaliki (Hon. Chidiebere Alo) and Ebonyi (Hon. Chibueze Odigwe).

In his remarks, Ebonyi State Governor Francis Nwifuru has described Saturday’s local government elections in the state as a democratic exercise that should not be treated as a war, saying the process is about allowing the people to freely choose their leaders.

Nwifuru spoke with journalists after casting his vote during the election.

The governor said there was no need for undue anxiety over the exercise, insisting that candidates were selected by the people and their respective political parties.

“It is the will of the people. You don’t need security when people are choosing candidates in an election,” he said.

“I did not select the candidates; it is the people who selected them, while the political parties also selected their candidates.

“The process is ongoing. It is not a war; it is an election. That is why I believe we don’t need to stress ourselves over voting for a candidate of our choice to become our leader.”

Nwifuru said the essence of the election was to give the electorate the opportunity to choose those they wanted to govern them at the grassroots.

Meanwhile, the Ebonyi State Chairman of the APC, Stanley Okoro-Emegha, said the party had monitored the election in several locations and observed what he described as a large turnout of voters.

Okoro-Emegha spoke at his polling unit in Edda Local Government Area after casting his vote and monitoring the exercise.

He said he had moved around the local government to observe the conduct of the election, adding that the turnout in several areas was encouraging.

The APC chairman, however, said some challenges were recorded, particularly regarding registration and the documents required by voters to participate in the election.

According to him, some people who had registered were unable to vote because they did not have the required documents.

He said the party had continued to encourage its supporters to participate peacefully in the electoral process.

Okoro-Emegha also said the APC’s campaign strategy was focused on grassroots mobilisation and issues rather than what he described as social media-driven campaigns designed merely to create noise.

He said the party was interested in taking its campaign to the people and encouraging journalists to remain committed to their profession.

In an interview, Mr Osborn Umahi commended the electoral umpire for the conduct of the election, describing the exercise as transparent and peaceful.

He promised to transform his council through rural development, empowerment and agricultural revolution.

The chairman of APC in Ebonyi state, Chief Stanley Emegha noted that the victory of his party was a confirmation that there was no other political parties existing in the state.

He also said the 2027 general election would be victorious for the APC just like the concluded council elections.

Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ebonyi State chapter, has rejected  the Saturday’s local government elections conducted in the state, describing the exercise as a “mono-party polls” allegedly conducted in defiance of subsisting court judgments.

The State Publicity Secretary of the Party, Mr Darlington Onwe, made the position known at a press conference in Abakaliki on Sunday.

Onwe said the party considered the exercise “not an election at all,” alleging that the Ebonyi State Independent Electoral Commission (EBSIEC) and the state government had failed to ensure genuine participation by all registered political parties.

He argued that the exercise was unconstitutional and incapable of conferring legitimacy on any candidate that emerged from it.

According to him, Section 7(1) of the 1999 Constitution guarantees a system of democratically elected local government councils, while Section 14 recognises the sovereignty of the people and their participation in governance.

He said a local government election substantially contested by only one political party could not meet the constitutional requirement for democratic representation.

The PDP spokesperson also relied on the Supreme Court judgment in Attorney-General of the Federation v. Attorney-General of Abia State & 35 Others, delivered in July 2024.

He said the judgment affirmed the constitutional importance of democratically elected local government councils and addressed the tenure of elected local government officials.

Onwe further challenged the legality of the two-year tenure provided under the amended Ebonyi State Local Government Law, arguing that it was inconsistent with constitutional provisions and the Supreme Court’s pronouncements.

He maintained that any election conducted under a law that was inconsistent with the Constitution could not cure the alleged legal defect.

The PDP also recalled the 2022 local government election in Ebonyi, which it said was nullified by the Federal High Court in Abakaliki over alleged non-compliance with the Electoral Act and denial of a level playing field.

The party said the judgment was subsequently affirmed by the Court of Appeal in May 2025.

It further alleged that EBSIEC conducted another local government election on July 20, 2024, despite the ongoing litigation, with candidates of the ruling party emerging across the 13 chairmanship and 171 councillorship positions.

Onwe noted that the  election was also  subsequently nullified by the Federal High Court, Abakaliki, on Oct. 21, 2025.

He alleged that the court also restrained EBSIEC and the state government from conducting another local government election except in accordance with the Constitution and Electoral Act.

He contended that the order remained subsisting and should  therefore, restrain the electoral commission and the state government.

The spokesperson  also warned that the alleged conduct of the election could have financial implications for the state’s 13 local government areas.

Onwe cited the Supreme Court’s position on democratically elected councils and warned that any council structure emerging from an allegedly unconstitutional process could face challenges in accessing federal allocations.

He urged relevant federal agencies, including the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), to take note of the party’s position.

The PDP spokesperson called on EBSIEC to suspend the electoral process pending compliance with relevant court orders and resolution of what it described as constitutional defects in the state’s local government law.

The party also called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to take note of the development and urged the Ebonyi Government to comply with all outstanding court orders relating to local government administration.

Onwe said the party would challenge the outcome of the election before a competent court.

The PDP’s position came amid its earlier declaration that it would not participate in Saturday’s LG elections, citing alleged failure by EBSIEC to open the electoral process to all political parties.

The party said it remained committed to defending democratic participation and the rule of law in Ebonyi.

Reacting to the development, Mr Patrick Enyi, EBSIEC Chairman told the News Agency of  Nigeria (NAN) in a telephone interview that the election was made open to all political parties and all processes were duly followed.

“We created awareness for all interested parties to participate but they did not show interest, especially PDP,” he added.

Enyi, however, did not name the political parties that participated in the polls.

He subsequently ended the telephone conversation and did not respond to a second call from NAN seeking further clarification on the issue.