Ben Ezechime, Enugu
The Enugu State Independent Electoral Commission (ENSIEC) says it has rescheduled backwards the date for conduct of local government chairmanship and councilors elections from October 5 to September 21, 2024.
The Chairman of ENSIEC, Professor Christian Ngwu, confirmed the new rescheduled election date and amended timetable to newsmen in Enugu on Thursday.
Ngwu said that the commission was acting in compliance with the state High Court judgment, delivered by Justice C.V.C. Ezeugwu on Aug. 27, which compelled the commission to conduct council elections on or before Sept. 21, 2024.
The judgment was in pursuant of Enugu State High Court suit number E/608m/2024; Aninri LG and 16 other LGs versus ENSIEC.
The Chairman noted that acknowledging the court ruling, and after engaging electoral stakeholders, the commission hereby amended the activities and timetable for the Local Government Councils Elections in Enugu State as follows: “June 3 to June 14, 2024 – Call for political parties to submit information on conduct of party primaries specifying the time, venue and say (mode) of party primaries.
“Aug. 1 to Aug.19, 2024 – Conduct of party primaries including resolution of disputes arising from the primaries.
“Aug. 23 to Aug. 27, 2024 – Political parties are to obtain nomination forms, ENSIEC 7 and Councillorship election respectively on Aug. 23 to Aug. 27.
“Aug. 28 to Aug. 30, 2024 – List of candidates nominated by political parties shall be forwarded to the headquarters of ENSIEC at 3 Achi Street, Independence Layout, Enugu.
“Aug. 31 to Sept. 6, 2024 — Checking of candidates credentials; councilorship candidates shall be checked at various Local Government Headquarters while Chairmanship candidates shall be checked at ENSIEC headquarters at 3 Achi Street, Independence Layout, Enugu,” he said.
Ngwu said that the rest of the amended timetable are: Sept. 9 to Sept.10, 2024 – Return of lists of qualified and unqualified candidates on forms ENSIEC-3 and ENSIEC-4 for Chairmanship and Councillorship elections respectively to political parties.
“Sept. 11 to Sept. 12, 2024 – (a) Replacement of unqualified candidates by the affected political parties. (b) Names of two party agents with passport photographs attached to each polling unit shall be forwarded to ENSIEC headquarters by political parties. Parties shall endorse the passport photographs.
“Sept. 7 to Sept 20, 2024 – Campaign kickoff – Candidates and their parties shall campaign for the election in such a manner and in accordance with such guidelines as may be determined, from time to time, by the Commission. Campaign shall end by 6pm of Sept.19.
“Sept. 21, 2024 – Voters’ accreditation and voting by Open Secret Ballot System between the hours 8am and 3pm. Sept. 28, 2024 – Chairmanship and/or Councillorship run-off election if need be,” he added.
It would be recalled that ENSIEC had earlier fixed October 5, 2024, but now has September 21, 2024, as the new date set aside to conduct local government elections to elect 17 council Chairmen and 260 councilors in Enugu State.
