An Edo State High Court in Benin City has stopped the Edo State Independent Electoral Commission (EDSIEC) and the state government from conducting planned local government by-elections across 59 wards.
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The order was issued on Tuesday, September 16, 2025, by Justice Mary E. Itsueli, who sat as a vacation judge. It followed an ex-parte motion filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) challenging the legality of the elections.
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Lawyers representing the PDP — Oluwole Osaze Uzzi, Michael Ekwemuka, and P. W. Akwuen — argued that the councillors whose seats were declared vacant still have valid tenure until September 2026. They described EDSIEC’s move to hold elections before the end of that tenure as unlawful.
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After reviewing the application, Justice Itsueli ruled that the PDP had provided sufficient grounds to restrain the electoral body and the government from proceeding with the polls.
Before the ruling, EDSIEC had announced September 20, 2025, as the date for the by-elections to fill councillorship seats it claimed were vacated across 15 local government areas of the state.
The court’s decision now puts the electoral process on hold until the matter is fully determined.
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