Edo LG by-election: EDSIEC to conduct election in 63 wards in 15 local governments

The Edo State Independent Electoral Commission, EDSIEC, would be conducting councillorship by-election in 63 wards out of the 192 wards in 15 local government areas of the State, DAILY POST revealed.

There were, however, conflicting figures of local governments and wards in which the by-election would be conducted.

DAILY POST gathered that while EDSIEC Chairman, Jonathan Aifuobhokhan, at a press briefing gave 1485 polling units in
49 wards across nine local governments, the All Progressives Congress, APC, gave 63 wards in 15 councils.

A statement, by the State Publicity Secretary of APC, Peter Uwadiae, titled APC preparations for Local Government by-election in top gear,” said the election would be held across 63 wards in the state.

A document allegedly released by APC, disclosed the names of local governments and wards where the elections would be conducted.

In the document, the by-election would be conducted in all the 12 wards in Oredo Local Government Area.

DAILY POST recalls that it was only the local government that the elected councillors did not impeach the council chairman, Tom Obaseki.

It was also the local government that the councillors did not defect to APC.

Since the suspension of the elected 18 local government chairmen and deputies on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, by the Edo State House of Assembly, on December 17, 2024, two Heads of Local Government Administration have been appointed as the acting chairman of the council.

The first acting chairman was Dr Igbinigie Osaheni, who was appointed in December 2014, by the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Dr Lucky Eseigbe.

Osaheni who was, however, transferred to Akoko-Edo Local Government Area as the Head of the Local Government Administration, HOLGA, was, in July, 2025, replaced with Mrs Evbu Amen Oboh as the new Head of the Local Government Administration as well as the acting chairman of the council.

Also, the by-election would be counducted in 10 wards in Orhionmwon, six wards in Ikpoba Okha, six wards in Egor, seven in Ovia North-East, one ward in Uhunmwode local governments.

Others are three wards in Etsako West, four in Etsako East, two in Akoko-Edo and four in Owan East Local Governments.

The by-election would also be conducted in three wards in Esan South-East, two in Esan North-East,one in Esan West, one in Igueben and two in Esan Central Local Governments.

Esan Central is the local government of the state governor, Monday Okpebholo.

The only local government areas the election would not be conducted in are Owan West, Etsako Central and Ovia South-West.

The Edo State Independent Electoral Commission had slated the by-election for Saturday, September 20, 2025.

The by-election follows the resolution of the Edo State House of Assembly, mandating the electoral body to counduct election to fill all the vacant seats allegedly abdicated by the elected councillors in the September 2, 2023, local government elections by the administration of former Governor Godwin Obaseki.

Edo LG by-election: EDSIEC to conduct election in 63 wards in 15 local governments