A socio-cultural organisation in Imo State, Aladinma Ndi Imo, has called on the Chairman of the Imo State Independent Electoral Commission (ISIEC), Mr Charles Ejiogu, to resign honourably or be removed from office by Governor Hope Uzodimma following the repeated postponement of the state’s local government elections.
The group in a statement signed by its Publicity Secretary, Princewill Ogueri, described the repeated shifts in the election timetable, culminating in another indefinite postponement, as a development that raises serious questions about the administrative preparedness, planning and accountability of the electoral commission.
The local government election was initially scheduled for September 26, 2026, before being moved to November 7. Following another postponement, ISIEC subsequently announced November 14 as the new date. The latest decision to suspend the exercise indefinitely has further heightened public concern and uncertainty among political parties, candidates and the electorate.
In a statement, Aladinma Ndi Imo argued that conducting local government elections is one of the fundamental responsibilities of a state electoral commission and that repeated failure to deliver on an announced timetable should attract serious institutional consequences.
According to the group, an electoral commission entrusted with the responsibility of organising elections across the state’s 27 local government areas and 305 wards should demonstrate the capacity to plan ahead, anticipate challenges and put the necessary administrative and logistical arrangements in place before announcing election dates.
It maintained that while unforeseen circumstances and genuine legal challenges may sometimes necessitate adjustments to an electoral timetable, repeatedly announcing dates only to abandon them raises legitimate questions about the commission’s preparedness and decision-making processes.
Aladinma Ndi Imo argued that the ISIEC chairman should take responsibility for the situation rather than continue in office while the electoral process suffers repeated disruptions.
“If the necessary resources, logistics and institutional support required to conduct the election have not been made available after these repeated postponements, or if there are undue interferences from the powers that be, the honourable thing for the ISIEC chairman to do is to throw in the towel.
“An electoral umpire must have the courage to defend the integrity of his office. He should not allow himself to be repeatedly embarrassed by circumstances that make it impossible for him to discharge the responsibility for which he was appointed,” the group stated.
The organisation further challenged Governor Hope Uzodimma to demonstrate his administration’s commitment to grassroots democracy by reviewing the leadership of ISIEC and appointing someone capable of delivering a credible election within a clearly defined and realistic timeframe.
It argued that the governor cannot continuously assure Imo people of his commitment to democratic governance while the process of electing their local government representatives remains uncertain.
According to the group, the local government system is too important to be subjected to endless administrative delays because it represents the level of government closest to the people and plays a critical role in grassroots development, security, sanitation, rural infrastructure and community-based administration.
It also warned that prolonged delays in conducting council elections undermine public confidence in democratic institutions and raise questions about the practical commitment of political leaders to local government autonomy and accountability.
Beyond demanding accountability from the state government, Aladinma Ndi Imo called on the Federal Government to consider withholding local government allocations from the Federation Account until democratically elected local government administrations are put in place in Imo State.
The group maintained that the financial autonomy of local governments should translate into genuine democratic accountability, insisting that public funds meant for grassroots development must be managed by administrations with a clear electoral mandate from the people.
It stressed, however, that the proposed withholding of allocations should be pursued within the framework of the law and constitutional provisions governing local government finances.
The group concluded that Imo people deserve more than repeated election announcements and indefinite postponements. They deserve an electoral institution that can plan effectively, operate independently and deliver on its constitutional responsibilities.
For Aladinma Ndi Imo, the unfolding situation presents an important test of political accountability for the Uzodimma administration: whether it will allow the situation to continue or take concrete steps to restore confidence in the process of electing local government leaders in the state.
The central demand of the group is that the ISIEC chairman should either accept responsibility and resign or be replaced by the governor, while a credible and definitive timetable for the local government elections is established.
Discover more from Gisthub24
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
