Imo postpones LG election for second time

The Imo State Independent Electoral Commission (ISIEC) has postponed the November 7 local government election for the second time, without announcing a new date for the exercise.

The commission’s chairman, Charles Ejiogu, announced the decision on Saturday during a stakeholders’ meeting in Owerri, attributing the latest postponement to consultations with political parties and other stakeholders, particularly the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC).

Ejiogu said the commission initially scheduled the council elections for September 26, 2026, but postponed them after some IPAC members approached the judiciary to seek an extension of the election timetable.

He said subsequent engagements with IPAC and other stakeholders led to the rescheduling of the polls to November 7.

“Having consulted widely, the Imo State Independent Electoral Commission is constrained to announce that the scheduled Saturday, 7th November, 2026 Local Government Council Elections will no longer hold,” he said.

The chairman did not provide a fresh date for the election.

Ejiogu described IPAC as a strategic partner in the electoral process and urged political parties to promote tolerance, avoid violence and uphold internal democracy.

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He also cautioned political actors against destroying campaign posters and billboards, making hate speeches or engaging in other activities capable of disrupting the polls.

The commission, he said, was working with security agencies to establish an Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security to ensure adequate security before, during and after the election.

The local government election is expected to cover 4,758 polling units and 305 wards across the state’s 27 local government areas.