Imo electoral commission postpones LG election again

The Imo State Independent Electoral Commission has postponed the November 7 local government election for the second time, without announcing a new date.

The commission’s chairman, Charles Ejiogu, announced the postponement during a stakeholders’ meeting in Owerri on Saturday.

Ejiogu said the decision followed consultations with political parties and other stakeholders, particularly the Inter-Party Advisory Council, which had opposed the commission’s earlier election timetable.

He explained that ISIEC had initially scheduled the council polls for September 26, 2026, but postponed them after some IPAC members approached the judiciary to seek an extension of the election timetable.

According to him, the commission subsequently engaged IPAC and other stakeholders, leading to the rescheduling of the election to November 7.

“Having consulted widely, the Imo State Independent Electoral Commission is constrained to announce that the scheduled Saturday, 7th November, 2026 Local Government Council Elections will no longer hold,” he said.

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The chairman did not announce a fresh date for the election.

Ejiogu said the commission considered IPAC a strategic partner in the electoral process and urged political parties to promote tolerance, shun violence and uphold internal democracy.

He also warned against the destruction of campaign posters and billboards, hate speech and other actions capable of disrupting the polls.

The chairman said the commission was working with security agencies to establish an Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security to ensure adequate security before, during and after the elections.

He added that the election would cover 4,758 polling units and 305 wards across the state’s 27 local government areas.