​The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has recorded a clean sweep in the Ebonyi State Local Government elections, securing all 13 chairmanship positions and 171 councillorship seats contested across the state.
​The official declaration was made on Sunday morning, August 23, at the headquarters of the Ebonyi State Independent Electoral Commission (EBSIEC) in Abakaliki.
​Announcing the final results, the Chairman of EBSIEC, Chief Jossy Eze, confirmed that the election was conducted peacefully across all 13 Local Government Areas and 171 electoral wards. He noted that the exercise complied fully with the state’s electoral guidelines and statutory provisions.
​According to EBSIEC, the electoral officers from all 13 local government council areas submitted their collated results overnight following the conclusion of voting on Saturday.
​Speaking on behalf of the ruling party shortly after the declaration, the APC State Publicity Secretary, Mr. Simbad Ogbuatu, lauded the electoral umpire and the security apparatus for ensuring a smooth, credible, and hitch-free process.
​”This absolute mandate granted to the All Progressives Congress reflects the unalloyed trust the good people of Ebonyi State have in the administration. Our candidates campaigned vigorously in all communities, and this clean sweep is a testament to our grassroots support and performance,” Ogbuatu stated.
​Conversely, opposition figures criticized the process. The State Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Darlington Onwe, addressed newsmen at the party’s state secretariat in Abakaliki at, dismissing the election as a flawed exercise.
​”What took place across the state was not a true democratic contest. The process lacked competitive fairness, and our party reserves the right to challenge these results through legal and constitutional channels,” Onwe noted.
​Despite the opposition’s grievances, security agencies reported no major incidents of violence or breakdown of law and order during the election or collation phases. Certificates of return are scheduled to be presented to the newly elected chairmen and councillors at the EBSIEC headquarters in the coming days.
