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The Edo State Independent Electoral Commission, EDSIEC, has been prohibited from conducting the bye-election for 63 councillorship seats across 15 local government areas by the State High Court in Benin City, with approximately 36 hours remaining until the election.
According to XANDERTECH, the Edo State Independent Electoral Commission had scheduled the bye-election for September 20, 2025.
The order was granted by Justice Mary E. Itsueli, who was serving as a vacation judge, on Tuesday, September 16, 2025, in response to an ex-parte motion filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
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The PDP, through its counsels Oluwole Osaze Uzzi, Michael Ekwemuka, and P. W. Akwuen, had petitioned the court in suit B/247M/2025 to request permission to seek for judicial review of EDSIEC’s decision to conduct bye-elections to fill councillorship positions in the affected wards.
The party contended that the councillors’ tenures are legitimate until September 2026, rendering any attempt to declare their seats vacant unlawful.
In her ruling, Justice Itsueli determined that the applicants had presented adequate justification for the court to intervene.
The judge also designated September 30, 2025, as the return date and referred the matter to the Chief Judge of Edo State for reassignment to a regular court.