Adebayo Adenrele
The Ekiti State High Court has dismissed a suit instituted by the African Democratic Congress (ADC) challenging the guidelines for the December 12, 2026, local government elections in the state.
The court, sitting in Ado-Ekiti, also awarded N100,000 in costs in favour of the Ekiti State Independent Electoral Commission (EKSIEC) and the other defendant in the suit.
The development comes as preparations continue for the conduct of elections into the local government councils and Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) in Ekiti State.
A statement issued and signed by the EKSIEC’s Commissioner for Information Soji Oloketuyi on behalf of the Chairman, said the suit was instituted by the ADC against the commission’s chairman, Justice Cornelius Ilori Akintayo (rtd.), and EKSIEC as first and second defendants, respectively.
According to the statement, the case was initially filed at the Federal High Court before being transferred to the Ekiti State High Court, which the statement said had jurisdiction to determine the matter.
Oloketuyi said the ADC had sought, among other reliefs, an order invalidating the guidelines issued by the EKSIEC chairman for the conduct of the 2026 local government and LCDAs elections scheduled for December 12.
Delivering judgment in the case, the presiding judge, Justice S.B.J. Bamise, dismissed the suit in a 76-page judgment.
The court reportedly described the plaintiffs as “meddlesome interlopers” who sought to truncate the forthcoming local government elections.
Following the dismissal, the court awarded N100,000 in costs in favour of EKSIEC and the other defendant.
The ruling represents a development in the legal proceedings surrounding the preparations for the December 12 elections, with the electoral commission maintaining its schedule for the polls.
