- ISIEC cites circumstances beyond its control as Assembly provides framework for possible interim council administration
By Princely Onyenwe | News Desk
OWERRI, IMO STATE — The Imo State Independent Electoral Commission (ISIEC) has postponed the local government elections earlier scheduled for Saturday, September 26, 2026, with no new date fixed for the exercise.
The postponement was contained in a press release dated September 23 and signed by the ISIEC Chairman, Chief Charles Ejiogu, JP. The commission informed political parties, the Inter Party Advisory Council of Nigeria (IPAC), security agencies, traditional rulers, the media, civil society groups and other stakeholders that the 2026 Imo State Local Government Council elections had been postponed.
ISIEC said the decision became necessary because of circumstances it described as being beyond its operational control. The commission added that consultations with stakeholders, particularly IPAC, were ongoing with the aim of arriving at an agreeable date for the elections within the shortest possible time. The statement, however, did not announce a replacement date.
The development coincides with action by the Imo State House of Assembly to amend the law governing the administration of the state’s 27 local government areas, following the postponement of the elections and the approaching expiration of the tenure of the current elected council officials.
Reports on the legislative action indicate that the amendment provides a framework for possible Interim Management Committees to administer the councils after the expiration of the present officials’ tenure on September 30. The arrangement is intended to address the possibility of a vacuum in local government administration pending the conduct of fresh elections.
The legislative consideration was led by the Leader of the House, Rt. Hon. Kanayo Onyemaechi, who was reported to have said the amendment was intended to prevent a vacuum in the administration of the local government system. Reports also indicate that the proposed interim arrangement could provide representation from the various electoral wards and remain in place depending on when another council election is conducted.
Before the postponement, ISIEC had fixed September 26 for elections into the 27 chairmanship positions and 305 councillorship seats across 4,758 polling units in the state.
The postponement also comes against the backdrop of a legal challenge by the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and four of its Imo State officials over aspects of the electoral process. The suit, filed at the Owerri Judicial Division as Suit No. HOW/1380/2026, challenges issues relating to the notice of election, electoral timetable and voters’ register compliance.
During proceedings at the Imo State High Court on September 23, the Attorney-General of the state, Paul Obinatu, reportedly informed the court that the government had decided to postpone the election. The postponement was not the result of a court order cancelling the poll, according to reports of the proceedings. The APGA case remains pending and was adjourned to October 30, 2026, for mention.
With the tenure of the current elected council officials expected to expire on September 30, the postponement leaves the administration of the state’s 27 local government areas at a transition point. ISIEC says consultations are continuing toward a fresh election date, while the Assembly’s amended law provides a framework for an interim arrangement should the councils become vacant before new elections are held.
At the time of filling this news report by 9News Nigeria, however, no new date has been announced for the Imo State local government elections.
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