Imo Council Election Postponed Indefinitely, New Date to Be Announced

The Imo State Independent Electoral Commission (ISIEC) has postponed indefinitely the local government council election scheduled for November 7, 2026.

The commission’s chairman, Chief Charles Ejiogu, announced the postponement during a stakeholders’ meeting in Owerri on Saturday, without giving a specific reason for the decision.

Ejiogu said the commission was “constrained to announce that the election will not hold”, adding that a new date, timetable and guidelines would be released within the shortest possible time.

The election was initially scheduled for September 26, 2026, but was postponed after the state government cited ongoing litigations as the reason it could not proceed on the original date.

Addressing stakeholders, the ISIEC chairman said the meeting was organised to receive their views and suggestions as the commission worked towards fixing a new date for the exercise.

He also assured political parties and their candidates of a level playing field during the election, promising that the commission would provide a transparent process for all chairmanship and councillorship aspirants.

Ejiogu said ISIEC was working with security agencies to establish an Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES), involving the police, military, Department of State Services, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and other relevant agencies.

He urged the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) to sign and uphold a peace accord, warning that no individual or group would be allowed to undermine the will of voters during the election.

The chairman maintained that ISIEC remained committed to conducting a peaceful, transparent and credible local government election that would produce democratically elected council chairmen and councillors.