Edo Assembly orders EDSIEC to conduct by-elections to fill councillors’ seats in three weeks

The Edo State House of Assembly has passed a resolution mandating the State Independent Electoral Commission, EDSIEC, to immediately commence the process of conducting by-elections in all the wards across the 18 Local Government Areas where elected councillors have allegedly abandoned their seats.

DAILY POST reports that the House passed the resolution in a consequential motion moved by the Majority Leader of the House, Ibhamawu Jonathan Aigbokhan, Esan West and seconded by Addeh Emakhu Isibor, Esan North-East I.

The lawmakers who mandated EDSIEC to conduct the by-elections within three weeks, added that the tenure of the winners of the elections would also end alongside those currently in office

The All Progressives Congress, APC lawmaker alleged that most of the elected councillors, had since January 2025 abdicated their democratic responsibilities for reasons best known to them.

Ibhamawu said 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.

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 goes 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.

According to him, 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”,he said

Speaking while seconding the motion, Addeh, who is also the Deputy Majority Leader, opined that the by-elections are in tandem with the relevant sections of the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended, and those of the Edo State Local Government Law 2000, as amended in 2022.

Addeh relied on section 7 of the 1999 constitution as amended, the combined provisions of section 67 and 109 of the 1999 constitution and section 12 subsection 1 of the Local Government Laws 2000 as they relate to local government councillors.

He averred that by virtue of the provision of section 63 of the 1999 constitution members of the Senate and House of Representatives are mandated to sit for not less than 181 days, noting that the same provision is replicated in section 104 of the 1999 constitution as it relates to members of the Edo State House of Assembly.

While urging members’ support for the motion, he opined that the absence of Councillors in their various councils is seriously damaging and harming the Local Government Administration system in Edo State.

On her part, Natasha Orobosa Osawaru, PDP, representing Egor constituency, who supported the motion, noted that it is the responsibility of the House to ensure that the relevant laws are implemented.

Osawaru opined that it would ensure that the right things are being done to fast-track the dividends of democracy to the people at the grassroots.

Also speaking, Blessing Agbebaku, the speaker of the House, said all members of the 8th Assembly spoke in favour of the motion.

Agbebaku said by the resolution, the State’s electoral commission has been mandated to conduct by-elections in all the affected wards across the 18 local governments within three weeks.

DAILY POST recalls that the House had December 17, 2024 suspended all the elected PDP local government chairmen and deputies in the 18 councils on December 17, 2024, for alleged insubordination and gross misconduct for two months.

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.