The Ebonyi State local government council election is taking place today, Saturday, across the state, with the state government ordering restrictions on human and vehicular movement.

The directive, issued by Governor Francis Nwifuru, restricts movement across the state between 8:00 AM and 3:00 PM on election day.

Announcing the directive on Friday, the State Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Barr. Ikeuwa Omebeh, confirmed that security agencies have been mandated to enforce strict compliance throughout the designated hours.

However, Channels Television observed widespread voter apathy at some polling units, as Ad hoc staff of the Ebonyi State Independent Electoral Commission(EBSIEC) were mostly seen waiting for voters to turn out.

As of noon, some polling units had recorded no voters at all, while others had few voters arriving at their polling units.

The Ebonyi State Governor, Francis Nwifuru, casting his vote during the local government council election on Saturday, August 22, 2026.

Meanwhile, the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the State is not participating in the exercise

The party alleged that the exercise was designed to favour the ruling party, the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Contained in a statement issued on Saturday by the PDP Publicity Secretary, Darlington Peter-Onwe, the party called on EBSIEC to “suspend forthwith the local government election holding today the 22 August 2026 pending full and demonstrable compliance with the subsisting order of Justice Oshomah, pending the amendment of the Amended Ebonyi State Local Government Law No. 005 to bring the tenure of local government offices into conformity with the Constitution and the Supreme Court’s pronouncement in AG Federation v. AG Abia State & 35 Ors, and pending verifiable, transparent participation of all registered political parties, including the PDP, in the process.”

Ongoing Ebonyi Local Government Poll

The party, in clear legal and constitutional terms, stated its position that “what EBSIEC and the Ebonyi State Government are presenting to the public as a local government election holding today, August, 22, 2026, is not, in law or in fact, an election at all.

“It is a brazen assault on our democracy, a flagrant act of contempt, a continuing abuse of subsisting court process, and an exercise being conducted on a foundation the courts have already, and repeatedly, declared to be nothing.

“We specifically call on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), as the federal body constitutionally positioned to safeguard electoral standards nationwide, to intervene and formally note this development.

“We call on the Ebonyi State Government to comply, without further delay, with every outstanding court order touching on local government administration in this State, and to cease any conduct that would keep the courts perpetually engaged in setting aside elections this Government insists on repeating in substantially the same defective form.”

Meanwhile, Governor Francis Nwifuru has commended the electoral umpire for a seamless exercise, shortly after casting his vote at Edupfu Okemini Polling Unit 002. (Channels)

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