The Edo State High Court has restrained the state government and the Edo State Independent Electoral Commission (EDSIEC) from conducting the scheduled bye-elections into 63 councillorship seats across 15 local government areas.
The election, earlier fixed for Saturday, September 20, 2025, was put on hold barely 36 hours to the exercise, following an order issued by Justice Mary Itsueli, sitting as a vacation judge in Benin City.
The ruling was granted on Tuesday, September 16, 2025, after the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) approached the court through an ex-parte motion, insisting that the tenure of the current councillors remains valid until September 2026.
PDP’s legal team, comprising Oluwole Osaze Uzzi, Michael Ekwemuka and P. W. Akwuen, argued that any attempt by EDSIEC to declare the councillorship positions vacant was unlawful and premature.
In her decision, Justice Itsueli held that the party had presented sufficient grounds for judicial intervention, stressing that the matter raised “serious legal issues requiring urgent attention.” She thereafter referred the case to the Chief Judge of Edo State for reassignment to a regular court, fixing September 30, 2025, as the return date.
