The Federal High Court in Abuja has started hearing a suit against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over an alleged plan to relocate the Ideato Federal Constituency collation centre. The plaintiffs, Chief Chinaemerem Udorji and Faith Umeh, claim INEC is secretly planning to move the centre from Urualla in Ideato North Local Government Area to Dikenafai in Ideato South Local Government Area of Imo State. They argue this decision was made without consulting relevant stakeholders.
The plaintiffs, who are citizens and registered voters of Ideato North, have joined INEC and the Attorney-General of the Federation as defendants in the action. They are seeking to stop the proposed relocation and compel scrutiny of the circumstances surrounding the alleged decision ahead of the 2027 general elections. The suit also challenges the role of INEC's Imo State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Isa Magaji, and other officials in the alleged relocation plan.
According to the plaintiffs' affidavit, Ideato North and Ideato South constitute the Ideato Federal Constituency, with Urualla historically serving as the collation centre for presidential and National Assembly elections. They claim to have discovered the alleged plan on September 21, 2026, and that it is being driven by partisan interests seeking electoral advantage. The plaintiffs also allege that INEC officials relied on information from partisan actors instead of conducting an independent assessment within Ideato.
The plaintiffs contend that the alleged security justification for the relocation requires close judicial examination, particularly given the lack of consultation with relevant stakeholders. They are asking the court to restrain INEC from implementing the proposed relocation pending determination of the substantive issues raised in the suit. The action also challenges the legal and administrative basis for altering the established arrangement for the federal constituency's collation centre.
INEC's current public locator confirms the existence of its Ideato North LGA office at the LGA Secretariat in Urualla, while its Ideato South LGA office is listed behind the LGA Secretariat in Dikenafai. The plaintiffs maintain that the dispute is not about partisan advantage but about transparency, due process, stakeholder participation, and public confidence in the administration of the 2027 elections.
The plaintiffs want the court to determine whether INEC followed the applicable legal and administrative procedures before allegedly moving to alter the location of the constituency's collation centre. They argue that they would be directly affected by any decision altering the arrangements for election administration and result collation in the constituency. The matter is now before the Federal High Court in Abuja for determination.
The allegations against INEC officials have yet to be established by the court. The court's decision will have significant implications for the administration of the 2027 general elections in Imo State. The plaintiffs have urged the court to intervene and ensure that any change affecting the Ideato Federal Constituency collation centre is made lawfully, transparently, and through an appropriate process.
Key points
- The Federal High Court in Abuja has commenced hearing in a suit challenging INEC's alleged plan to relocate the Ideato Federal Constituency collation centre.
- The plaintiffs claim the decision was made without consulting relevant stakeholders and is being driven by partisan interests seeking electoral advantage.
- The court's decision will have significant implications for the administration of the 2027 general elections in Imo State.
