By Jethro Ibileke
The Edo State House of Assembly has ordered the State Independent Electoral Commission (EDSIEC), to commence process for conducting by-elections in all the wards across the 18 Local Government Areas where elected councillors have allegedly abandoned their seats.
The order followed the passing of a Resolution on Monday, in a consequential motion moved by the Majority Leader of the House, Ibhamawu Jonathan Aigbokhan of Esan West and seconded by Addeh Emakhu Isibor, Esan North-East I.
Ibhamawu noted that the call for the by-elections to fill their positions is in line with section 12 subsection 1 of the Edo State Local Government laws 2000 as amended in 2022.
The House ordered the EDSIEC to conduct the by-elections within three weeks, adding that the tenure of the winners of the elections would also end alongside those currently in office.
They noted that most of the elected councillors had abdicated their democratic responsibilities since January 2025, for reasons best known to them.
He said the Edo State Local Government Law as amended mandated the electoral body to conduct a by-election to fill the position of any members of the local government legislative arm who absent from sitting for a period that is more than 1/3 of the total number of days during which the legislators in the council meet in a year.
He said the by-elections should be conducted in all the identified wards in the state
”The legislative arm is very fundamental in a democracy. It is the legislative arm that considers budgets of every state, the Federal Government, as well as the Local Governments. Without legislative arms, there is no democracy
”In Edo state, for instance, we are having a situation where councillors that were elected by their people have abandoned their duty posts for a reason only God knows.
”We can’t take this thing anymore because it is becoming worrisome and is troubling and the essence of democracy is not being felt properly in these wards that have been so affected.
”Looking at the Local Government laws section 12 subsection 1 reads that without just cause, if a Councillor is absent from a meeting of the council for a period that is amounting in the aggregate of more than 1/3 of the total number of days during which the council meets in any one year such a seat can be declared vacant.
”Since January, most of these Councillors have abandoned their duty posts, making democracy somehow shaky as relates to legislative arms in their respective councils.
”I am calling on my colleagues to see reasons with me on why these respective councils should be filled by asking the Edo State Independent National Electoral Commission to conduct a by-election to fill up these seats in a tenure that will also end with those that are still in office,” Ibhamawu said.
The Speaker of the House, Blessing Agbebaku, who said all members of the 8th Assembly spoke in favour of the motion, said by the resolution, the State Electoral Commission has been mandated to conduct by-elections in all the affected wards across the 18 local governments within three weeks.
It would be recalled that the House had on December 17, 2024, suspended all the elected PDP local government chairmen and deputies in the 18 councils for two months over alleged insubordination and gross misconduct.
The suspension of the chairmen and deputies followed a petition to the House by the State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, who accused them of refusing to submit financial accounts of their local government to the state government.
The governor described the action of the LG chairmen as insubordination and gross misconduct, and requested the House to look into the matter.
Following their suspension, the governor, however, mandated the legislative leader of each of the councils to take over the running of the council as acting chairmen.
This situation, however, degenerated to the impeachment of the elected chairmen and deputies as well as several councillors who kicked against the actions.
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