A Federal High Court sitting in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital, has nullified the local government election which was conducted recently in the state.

The presiding judge, Justice Rilman Fatun, on Thursday, ruled that the local government election which was held on July 30, 2022, contradicted the provisions of the 2022 Electoral Act.

Justice Fatun said the election was undemocratic and unlawful shrouded in secrecy.

The election, which was swept by the All Progressive Party (APC), was conducted by the Ebonyi State Independent Electoral Commission (EBSIEC).

It took place in the 13 Local Government Areas and 171 wards in the state.

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Some members of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) later boycotted the polls due to the N1 million and N200,000 nomination fees for the chairmanship and councillorship seats, respectively.

The group, thereafter, approached the court in a suit No. FHC/AI/CS/151/2022 to nullify the outcome of the polls.

Reacting to the judgement, the governor of Ebonyi State, David Umahi, urged the residents of the state to remain calm and go about their businesses peacefully.

Umahi, in a statement issued on Thursday by his Special Assistant on Media and Strategy, Chooks Oko, said: “Our lawyers will study the judgement to determine the best way forward.

“My belief in the judiciary as the bastion of justice and equity remains unshaken.”

The Star