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The Ebonyi State Government is preparing to swear-in new leaders in the 13 local government areas of the state despite the court nullifying their elections.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) won all the positions in the elections.
The inauguration of the newly elected council leaders had been scheduled for 1 September before the Federal High Court in Abakaliki, on 25 August, nullified the elections, saying that the tenure of the present chairpersons and councillors would expire in August, 2023.
The court restrained the state government from appointing caretakers to run the affairs of the councils.
The Chairperson of the APC in Ebonyi State, Stanley Emegha, on Monday, insisted that the 13 chairpersons and 171 councillors-elect must be inaugurated on 1 September as scheduled.
Also, the Commissioner for Information in the state, Uchenna Orji, said on Channels TV on Tuesday that the court ruling did not annul the election.
He also said the court did not stop a new leadership from being inaugurated in the councils.
The 171 councillors in the state have, however, declared that they have accepted the court ruling.
The councillors, in a statement on Monday, said they agreed with the judgement of the Federal High Court.
The councillors pledged support to the APC-led administration in the state. But they, however, urged the state government to accept the court judgement.
Background
The Ebonyi House of Assembly had arbitrarily reduced the tenure of council chairperson from three years to two years, paving the way for fresh elections.
Some members of the Peoples Democratic Party went to court to challenge the government’s action.
The plaintiffs, Otu Collins and four others argued in the suit that the tenure of the present chairpersons and councillors has not expired.
Despite the pendency of the suit, the Ebonyi State Independent Electoral Commission went ahead to conduct the election on 30 July.
