The All Progressives Congress (APC) has won all 13 local government chairmanship seats in Saturday’s council election held across Ebonyi State.
The Ebonyi State Independent Electoral Commission (EBSIEC) also declared APC candidates winners in all 171 councillorship seats up for grabs statewide.
Announcing the results, EBSIEC Chairman Enyi Patrick said the election was peaceful and orderly across the state’s 13 local government areas.
The exercise went ahead without the participation of any opposition political party, leaving the APC as the only party on the ballot in every constituency.
Umahi’s Son Among Chairmanship Winners
Among those declared winners was Osborn Nweze Umahi, son of Works Minister and former Ebonyi State Governor, David Umahi, who won the chairmanship race in Ohaozara Local Government Area.
Other declared chairmanship winners include Chibueze Osigwe for Ebonyi LGA, Eze Paul Ituma for Ohaukwu, Chidi Henry Nwode for Ikwo, Timothy Nwachi for Afikpo North, Simeon Onuoha for Edda, Chidiebere Alo for Abakaliki and Michael Anyim for Ivo.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ebonyi State has rejected the election, describing it as a one-party affair.
Speaking at a press conference, PDP Publicity Secretary Darlington Onwe said the party did not consider the exercise a genuine election at all.
Onwe alleged that EBSIEC and the state government failed to provide a credible platform for all registered political parties to take part.
Legitimacy Of The Poll Now In Dispute
He also described the election as unconstitutional, arguing that the process cannot confer legitimacy on the candidates declared winners.
The PDP’s position stands in sharp contrast to EBSIEC’s own account of a peaceful, successfully conducted election, setting up a dispute over the legitimacy of the new council chairmen that is likely to continue beyond the declaration of results.
With results now declared, the newly elected chairmen and councillors are expected to be sworn in shortly, though opposition parties may still pursue legal challenges over the exclusion of rival candidates from the ballot, a pattern seen in several state-conducted local government elections across Nigeria in recent years.
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One of the major problems we face is the problem of political recycling. No fresh water is allowed in, just a recurring wave of old water rebranded and packaged in clean bottles with different names etched in them.
It is well, even inside the well.