A federal high court sitting in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State capital, has reserved judgment in the suit filed by two indigenes of the state seeking nullification of local government and councilorship elections conducted in the state on July 20th, 2024.
The suit was filed by Samuel Udeogu and Isu Amaechi.
The federal high court in the state had nullified the local government election conducted under the last administration of David Umahi, who is now Minister of Works for non-compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2022.
Dissatisfied with the Justice Fatun Riman’s judgement on the suit, the state government obtained a judgement of the state high court, which upheld the election and also appealed the judgement of the federal high court
The Appeal Court, Enugu division, upheld the judgment of the Abakaliki Federal High Court.
The court rejected the relief sought by the plaintiffs, Otu Collins Eleri, Nelson Exe, Akaa Ikechukwu, Micheal Ali, and Isu Amaechi, seeking the stoppage of funds to the local government system in the state
It however, ruled that the funds should be released to the local government system but that it must not be spent.
This year, another suit by Samuel Udeogu and Isu Amaechi was filled at the Abakaliki federal high court presided by Justice H.I.O Ochoma.
The Independent National Electoral Commission, Ebonyi State Independent Electoral Commission, Governor Francis Nwifuru and the state government area the defendants in the suit.
When the came up for hearing on Counsel to the second plaintiff , Chief Mudi Erhenede urged the court to nullify the 2024 local government election with substantial cost by falling to abide by the ruling of the Enugu appeal court on the Ebonyi 2022 local government election.
He argued that the appeals against the judgement of the Justice Fatun Riman of the Abakaliki federal high court by Governor Francis Nwifuru and the state government who are the 2nd and 3rd respondents in the suit filled by Samuel Udeogu and Isu Amaechi, are directly related to the suit being entertained by Justice H.I.O Ochoma.
But counsel to Ebonyi State Independent Electoral Commission and the state government , I.N Nwideagu, urged the court to discountenance the arguments of the counsel to the 1st and 2nd plantiffs and enter judgement in favour of the 2nd and 3rd defendants with punitive cost
After adopting the addresses of counsel to the plaintiffs and defendants, the presiding judge, Justice H.I.O Ochoma, fixed judgement on the matter on a date to be communicated to the parties in the suit.
