The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ebonyi State has officially rejected the local government elections held on Saturday, branding the process as a "mono-party polls" that contravenes existing court rulings. During a press conference in Abakaliki on Sunday, the party's State Publicity Secretary, Mr. Darlington Onwe, expressed serious concerns about the legitimacy of the electoral exercise, claiming it did not allow for genuine participation from all registered political parties.

Onwe stated that the elections were unconstitutional and could not confer legitimacy on any candidates that emerged from the process. He referenced Section 7(1) of the 1999 Constitution, which guarantees a system of democratically elected local government councils, and Section 14, which recognizes the sovereignty of the people in governance. He argued that an election predominantly contested by one political party fails to meet the constitutional requirements for democratic representation.

The PDP's stance is supported by a Supreme Court ruling from July 2024 in the case of Attorney-General of the Federation v. Attorney-General of Abia State & 35 Others. This judgment underscored the necessity of democratically elected local government councils and addressed the tenure of local government officials. Onwe challenged the legality of the two-year tenure stipulated in the amended Ebonyi State Local Government Law, asserting that it contradicts constitutional provisions and the Supreme Court's decisions.

The party's leadership also recalled the previous local government election in 2022, which was annulled by the Federal High Court in Abakaliki due to non-compliance with the Electoral Act and a lack of a level playing field. This ruling was upheld by the Court of Appeal in May 2025. Furthermore, the PDP noted that EBSIEC conducted another local government election on July 20, 2024, despite ongoing litigation, resulting in candidates from the ruling party winning all positions across the 13 chairmanship and 171 councillorship slots. This election was later nullified by the Federal High Court on October 21, 2025.

Onwe emphasized that the court had restrained the Ebonyi State Independent Electoral Commission (EBSIEC) and the state government from conducting any further local government elections unless they complied with constitutional and electoral regulations. He urged federal agencies such as the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to take note of the potential financial implications for the state’s local government areas stemming from these elections.

The PDP called for EBSIEC to halt the electoral process until the constitutional issues surrounding the state’s local government law are resolved and urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to monitor the situation closely. Onwe reaffirmed the party’s commitment to upholding democratic participation and the rule of law in Ebonyi State, indicating that the PDP would pursue legal challenges against the election results.

In response to the PDP's allegations, Mr. Patrick Enyi, Chairman of EBSIEC, insisted that the elections were open to all political parties and that due processes were followed. He claimed that awareness was created for all interested parties to participate, but the PDP chose not to engage. Chief Stanley Okoro-Emegha, State Chairman of the APC, described the election as a "competitive exercise," asserting that all political parties were adequately involved.

As the results of the Ebonyi local government elections are awaited, the political landscape remains tense, with the PDP poised to take legal action against what it deems an unconstitutional electoral process.