The Edo State Independent Electoral Commission (EDSIEC) on Saturday went ahead with local government by-elections despite a restraining order issued by the State High Court.
The polls followed a resolution by the Edo State House of Assembly to fill 59 councillorship seats it declared vacant, citing the local government crisis that rocked the state earlier in the current administration.
However, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had filed an ex parte motion challenging the legality of the exercise, arguing that the tenure of the affected councillors remains valid until September 2026.
Justice Mary E. Itsueli, sitting as a vacation judge, granted the PDP’s prayers and restrained EDSIEC from proceeding with the election on Tuesday, September 16, 2025.
Despite the court order, EDSIEC conducted the elections in 59 wards across 15 local government areas, with other political parties boycotting the exercise, leaving it largely dominated by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The election was marred by violence as journalists covering proceedings at Asoro Primary School in Oredo Ward 9 were attacked by political thugs.
Our correspondent gathered that the reporters were conducting interviews and taking photographs when a man who claimed to be an APC agent accused them of working for the PDP.
He and other thugs then assaulted the journalists, seized their phones and jotters, deleted recordings, images, and videos from the devices, and subjected them to prolonged harassment and intimidation before returning their belongings.
