Why we’ll not participate in Edo LG by-election – ADC

By Jethro Ibileke

The African Democratic Congress (ADC), in Edo State, has declined participation in the local government by-election. The State Independent Electoral Commission (EDSIEC), has scheduled the by-election for Saturday, September 20, 2025, to fill councillorship seats allegedly abdicated by elected officers across 15 local government areas of the State.

But the State chairman of ADC, Kennedy Odion, disclosed to journalists in Benin City that the party will not be part of the election.

He said the party was not aware of the by-election, as there was no notification from the State electoral umpire.

“We are not aware of the election. There is no notification from EDSIEC to us as a party. We don’t know if they are doing any election this coming Saturday.

“Ordinarily if you have an election, the procedure is to notify all the stakeholders including the political parties, conduct political parties and other stakeholders’ engagement with the Commission, after which an election guidelines would be released.

“None of this was served to us as a party and we don’t even know the official preparation of the Commission whether they have any vacancies anywhere to be contested for. They are running things in their own ways, so, we are not aware,” he said.

Commenting on the party’s mantra: Renewed hope for good governance and accountability, Odion explained that it was different from the renewed hope agenda being celebrated by the All Progressives Congress (APC), that he said lacks direction.

According to him, “The ADC’s renewed hope agenda is to entrench government that is accountable to the people and liberate them from the shackles of corruption and misgovernance.

He added that the party is gaining momentum in the state since its adoption as a coalition platform by the former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, David Mark among others.

He also added that the main preoccupation of the party at the moment is to build solid structures across the 18 local government areas of the state

“We are excited and happy with the development in our party at the state level particularly since the unveiling of the Coalition and the chosen of the party as the platform for the coalition.

“By God’s grace, we have been faring well and the activities of the party have also increased because on a daily basis you see people trooping into the party’s secretariat to identify with us and pick up their membership cards.

“The party is gaining momentum at the state level, giving us structures where we have none before.

“But our concentration is building the party’s structures that have a solid foundation where Nigerians can be liberated politically and economically,” he said.