Imo Postpones November 7 Local Government Election Indefinitely

The Imo State Independent Electoral Commission (ISIEC) has indefinitely postponed the local government council election scheduled for November 7, 2026.

The commission’s Chairman, Chief Charles Ejiogu, announced the decision on Saturday, October 31, during a stakeholders’ meeting in Owerri.

Ejiogu said the commission had consulted widely before deciding that the election would no longer hold on the scheduled date.

He, however, did not disclose any specific reason for the latest postponement.

“At this juncture, having consulted widely, the Imo State Independent Electoral Commission is constrained to announce that the scheduled Saturday, 7th November, 2026 Local Government Council Elections will no longer hold,” he said.

The ISIEC chairman assured stakeholders that a new election date, timetable and guidelines would be announced within the shortest possible time.

The election was initially scheduled for September 26, 2026, but was postponed following objections from political stakeholders and legal challenges over the electoral timetable.

The commission subsequently fixed November 7 as the new date after consultations with political parties and other stakeholders, particularly the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC).

At Saturday’s meeting, Ejiogu described IPAC as a strategic partner in the electoral process and reaffirmed the commission’s commitment to conducting a peaceful, transparent and credible election.

He also assured political parties and their candidates of a level playing field, urging them to embrace tolerance and avoid violence, thuggery, hate speech and other actions capable of undermining the electoral process.

On election security, the chairman disclosed that ISIEC was working with security agencies to establish an Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES).

The proposed committee is expected to involve the Nigeria Police Force, Nigerian Army, Nigerian Navy, Nigerian Air Force, Department of State Services and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, among other agencies.

The postponed election is expected to cover 4,758 polling units across 305 wards in the state’s 27 local government areas.

With the November 7 date now cancelled, political parties, candidates and residents will have to await a fresh timetable from the electoral commission.