The Enugu State Independent Electoral Commission has said the Local Government Election earlier fixed for 24 February has been postponed to 5 October 2024.
The Chairperson of the election commission, Mike Ajogu, disclosed this in a statement in Enugu on Wednesday.
Mr Ajogu said the postponement followed the court order requesting the commission to adjust its original guideline and timetable published in the official gazette of Enugu State on 26 September 2023.
“The postponement was pursuant to a High Court Enugu State judgment delivered by his lordship Justice C. O. Ajah in the case of Action Alliance vs Enugu State Independent Electoral Commission in suit no E/682/2023.
“The Enugu State Independent Electoral Commission has been ordered to make the following adjustment to its original guideline and Time Table published in the official gazette of Enugu State and dated 26 September 2023.
“The Enugu State Local Government Election 2024 originally scheduled for 24 February has been shifted to 5 October 2024,” he said.
An official of the election commission told the News Agency of Nigeria that the commission was supposed to give 360 days’ notice as stipulated by law, instead of the 120 days’ notice it gave.
“The court said we must follow the Independent National Electoral Commission guideline; that we cannot use a different guideline other than that of INEC, even though we have been using the local government law,” the official said.
The official said that there may likely be an appeal but “that is not for us, it’s left to the state government to decide”.
