The Imo State local government elections on Saturday descended into confusion following conflicting court rulings that disrupted the voting process and left voters uncertain.
A Magistrate Court in Owerri, in a case filed under suit number CR/OMC/635/2024, disqualified all candidates from the All Progressives Congress (APC) from participating in the September 21 election.
The court ruled that the APC had failed to comply with the guidelines set by the Imo State Independent Electoral Commission (ISIEC).
Chief Magistrate Ifunanya Ekwerike declared that the APC had violated the election rules by not holding proper primaries for both chairmanship and councillorship positions.
“The APC should not be allowed to participate in the local government election due to its failure to conduct primaries in accordance with ISIEC guidelines,” Ekwerike stated.
This legal challenge came after the Forum of APC Chairmanship and Councillorship Aspirants approached the court, alleging irregularities in the primaries conducted across the state’s 305 wards.
The forum, represented by Barrister Lucky Ikwubuo, had expressed concerns over the lack of transparency in the APC’s selection process.
“We will do everything to ensure that APC does not participate in this election until due process is followed,” Ikwubuo declared.
In a separate case, Nze Greg Anyanwu, Action Alliance (AA) chairmanship candidate for Ahiazu Mbaise LGA, filed a lawsuit (HOW/1051/2024) challenging the legality of holding local government elections without establishing a Local Government Election Tribunal. Anyanwu argued that such an election would be unconstitutional and invalid.
Despite these court rulings, the APC dismissed the lawsuits, asserting that they had not been officially served with any legal notices.
The party’s Publicity Secretary, Duke Cajetan, rejected claims of irregularities, stating, “We have not received any court notice or legal process. All our candidates were agreed upon through consensus, and there are no aggrieved aspirants.”
He added, “You cannot stop a football match midway. The election will proceed.”
Cajetan further revealed that the party had begun refunding fees to aspirants who were not selected as candidates, in an effort to maintain transparency and promote unity within the party.
“This refund is a gesture of fairness and transparency to those who stepped aside for consensus candidates,” he said.
Meanwhile, voter turnout was low across many parts of the state, exacerbated by the late arrival of election materials in some polling units.
However, the election process remained peaceful, largely due to the coordinated efforts of security agencies, including the Commissioner of Police, the Commander of the 34 Artillery Brigade, and the Federal Road Safety Corps.
Despite the legal battles and logistical challenges, the Imo local government elections continued, but the cloud of uncertainty surrounding the APC’s participation left many voters and political observers in suspense.
