The case brought by the Social Democratic Party (SDP) against the Imo State Independent Electoral Commission (ISIEC) and All Progressives Congress (APC) over the results of the state’s recently held local council elections has been postponed until November 4, 2024 by the Imo State Local Government Election Petition Tribunal, which is located in Owerri.
Henry Ifeanyi Eluwa, the party’s state chairman, filed the lawsuit with suit number EPI/IMLG/0/9/24, contesting the procedure that elected the state’s local government council chairmen.
Citing alleged electoral malpractices and anomalies that it said tainted the polls, the SDP prayed for the complete annulment of the election results.
Eluwa further claimed that ISIEC had disregarded the electoral rules in collusion with the state’s ruling APC.
But because the APC and its candidates failed to show up for the initial hearing on October 17, 2024, the tribunal was forced to postpone the case until November 4, 2024.
Among the principal LGAs mentioned in the petition are Ngor-Okpala, Obowo, Owerri Municipal, and Ezinihitte.
The SDP further asked that Charles Ejiogu, the chairman of the ISIEC, explain to the voters how results came from local government areas where the Commission declared that polls would not be held due to insecurity.
The SDP chairman reaffirmed the party’s unwavering commitment to social justice, good governance, and electoral reform.
He went on to say that the state electoral commission ignored the electoral rules it sent to the public and political parties for the election’s conduct.
