By BONIFACE AKARAH

A detained councillor representing Ward 19, Ezhionum, in Ukwuani Local Government Council, Delta State, Victor Chukwuemeke, has alleged persecution over his demand for transparency in the management of the council’s finances.

His lawyer, Evans Ufeli, made the allegation in a petition dated September 5, 2026, addressed to President Bola Tinubu, urging him to investigate the circumstances surrounding his client's arrest, detention and continued incarceration.

According to the petition, Chukwuemeke’s ordeal began after he challenged what he described as the failure of the local government authorities to provide transparent records of their income and expenditure.

Ufeli said Chukwuemeke was elected on July 18, 2024, to represent Ward 19 in the Legislative Arm of Ukwuani Local Government Council.

The lawyer alleged that following their inauguration, councillors were told by the Executive Chairman that their positions should be regarded merely as an “empowerment arrangement”, while regular legislative sittings and active oversight of the Executive Arm were discouraged.

He said the development prompted Chukwuemeke to seek judicial intervention, culminating in a suit filed on January 22, 2026, seeking an order compelling the council to disclose and publish its financial records.

According to Ufeli, the court, on May 12, 2026, ordered the Executive Chairman and Treasurer to publish the council’s monthly income and expenditure records from July 2024 within 14 days.

The lawyer, however, alleged that the council subsequently displayed blurred and inaccessible documents on its notice board, while security operatives were allegedly deployed to prevent members of the public from inspecting the records.

“The documents displayed on the notice board were blurred and inaccessible, and security operatives were deployed to prevent members of the public from inspecting them. The council later presented a one-page summary of its finances to the court and claimed compliance, leading to the earlier judgment being vacated,” Ufeli alleged in the petition.

Dissatisfied with the ruling, Chukwuemeke reportedly filed a Notice of Appeal and a Motion for Stay of Execution.

The petition said the councillor appeared on ARISE Television on June 21, 2026, where he discussed his suspension from the Legislative Arm, alleged withholding of his salaries and entitlements, the financial records litigation and his decision to appeal the judgment.

According to Ufeli, the television appearance was followed by a petition by the council chairman to the Inspector-General of Police, accusing Chukwuemeke of cyberstalking involving the chairman, former Governor Ifeanyi Okowa and the trial judge.

The lawyer alleged that Chukwuemeke was arrested on July 13, 2026, after appearing before the Delta State High Court, Obiaruku Division, and taken to the State Intelligence Department of the police in Asaba.

He was allegedly detained for seven days before being arraigned before the Federal High Court in Asaba.

Ufeli said the councillor’s bail application was heard but not determined before the court proceeded on vacation, resulting in his remand at the Ogwashi-Uku Correctional Centre.

The lawyer urged Tinubu to order an independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding Chukwuemeke’s arrest, detention and prosecution.

“We respectfully urge the President to investigate the circumstances surrounding the arrest, detention and continued incarceration of our client and to ensure that his constitutional rights are protected. The use of state institutions to suppress legitimate democratic oversight must not be allowed to become a substitute for accountability,” Ufeli said in the petition.

He also asked the President to ensure the protection of Chukwuemeke’s constitutional rights and prevent what he described as the alleged abuse of state institutions to suppress democratic oversight.

Ufeli maintained that the case raised broader concerns about the ability of elected local government legislators to demand accountability in the management of public funds without intimidation or criminal prosecution.

“This matter goes beyond the circumstances of one councillor. It raises a fundamental question about whether elected local government legislators can demand accountability in the management of public funds without facing intimidation, suspension, detention or criminal prosecution,” the lawyer stated.

The petition urged the Federal Government to ensure that elected representatives are able to discharge their constitutional and legislative responsibilities without fear of reprisal.