The Imo State Government has postponed indefinitely the Local Government elections earlier scheduled for today, Saturday, September 26, 2026.

Imo State Commissioner for Information, Public Orientation and Strategy, Mr. Declan Emelumba, said that the election was stalled due to lawsuits challenging the conduct of the poll.

Emelumba said some opposition political parties had approached the court seeking an order to stop the Imo State Independent Electoral Commission from conducting the election.

According to him, the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and National Democratic Congress (NDC) had instituted lawsuits seeking to halt the poll on several grounds.

He said the lawsuits had been adjourned to October 30, 2026, for hearing, adding that the state government could not proceed with the election while the legal challenges were pending.

Said Emelumba: “No law-abiding government will proceed with such an election when two political parties are in court against its conduct.”

Emelumba said the state government was awaiting the resolution of the court processes and would fix a new date for the local government election once the legal issues are resolved.

One of the lawsuits was filed by APGA and four of its Imo State officials against the Imo State Independent Electoral Commission (ISIEC), ISIEC Chairman and the Imos State Attorney-General and Commssioner for Justice.

During the court proceedings, the Imo State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Paul Obinatu (with him N. C. Eronini, C. U. Ahaneku and N. C. Njemanze) informed the court that the government had decided to postpone the elections in view of the pending lawsuit.

The plaintiffs allege that the process leading to the aborted September 26 poll failed to comply with statutory requirements governing local government elections.

Meanwhile, the application seeking to restrain ISIEC from conducting the election remains pending.

During the proceedings, the Motion for Substituted Service dated September 16, 2026, and filed by the plaintiffs was withdrawn and struck out by the court. The withdrawal of the motion stemmed from the fact that the defendants had already been served with the court processes.

Obinatu told the court that the defendants had filed a Notice of Preliminary Objection challenging both the competence of the processes filed by the plaintiffs and the jurisdiction of the court to entertain the matter.

He also told the court that the period within which the defendants are entitled to respond to the plaintiffs’ processes was still running.

Counsel to the plaintiffs, Chief C. I. Asika Ilobi (who appeared alongside K. I. Uzoaganobi and U. F. Njoku) told the court that the plaintiffs would not withdraw the suit at this stage despite the postponement of the election.

He said withdrawing the action would be premature, adding that the plaintiffs intend to ascertain whether the relevant statutory requirements would eventually be complied with.

He said the plaintiffs would report to the court on the next adjourned date on the level of compliance by the defendants with the applicable electoral requirements.

CITY LAWYER recalls that the plaintiffs had approached the Imo State High Court in Suit No. HOW/1380/2026, seeking to stop ISIEC from conducting the September 26 council election.

The party challenged, among other things, the validity of a “360 Days Notice of Election” issued by ISIEC in September 2025 and a subsequent September 2026 announcement fixing September 26 as the election date.

The plaintiffs argue that the electoral process must comply with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2026. They also raised questions concerning compliance with statutory requirements relating to the voters’ register.

The proceedings have been adjourned to 30 October, 2026.

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