Reported by Ariajegbe Sylvia Esezobor
The Federal High Court in Abuja has commenced proceedings in a suit filed by concerned residents of Ideato Federal Constituency, Imo State, challenging an alleged plan by the Independent National Electoral Commission to relocate the constituency's collation centre from Urualla in Ideato North Local Government Area to Dikenafai in Ideato South Local Government Area ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The suit, instituted by Chief Chinaemerem Udorji and Faith Umeh, has INEC and the Attorney-General of the Federation as defendants. The plaintiffs are asking the court to halt the proposed relocation, which they contend is being pursued without adequate consultation with stakeholders in the constituency and on the basis of what they describe as a purported security report whose authenticity and basis is questionable. They are also seeking appropriate scrutiny of the conduct of the Resident Electoral Commissioner in Imo State, Isa Magaji, and some officials of the commission over the circumstances surrounding the alleged decision, according to ThisDay.
In an affidavit filed in support of their application, the plaintiffs stated that Ideato North and Ideato South Local Government Areas constitute the Ideato Federal Constituency and that Urualla has historically served as the collation centre for presidential and National Assembly elections in the federal constituency. According to the affidavit, the plaintiffs became aware on September 21, 2026, of an alleged plan to move the collation centre from Urualla to another location in Ideato South. They further alleged that the proposed relocation was being pursued by partisan interests for electoral advantage, an allegation that remains part of the plaintiffs' case and is yet to be determined by the court.
The plaintiffs also alleged that INEC officials who purportedly assessed the situation did not undertake adequate engagement with stakeholders in the constituency before the alleged recommendation was made. They specifically claimed that the officials stayed in Owerri during their assignment and relied on information allegedly supplied by partisan actors rather than conducting an independent assessment within the constituency. The affidavit stated that the plaintiffs believed the purported security justification for the relocation required judicial scrutiny, particularly because, according to them, there was no consultation with relevant stakeholders in Ideato Federal Constituency before the alleged decision was reached.
The plaintiffs are therefore asking the court to intervene and prevent INEC from implementing the proposed relocation pending the determination of the substantive issues raised in the suit. They are also challenging the legal basis upon which INEC allegedly sought to alter the established location of the Ideato Federal Constituency collation centre, arguing that the commission had no authority to unilaterally alter the relevant arrangement in the manner complained of. The plaintiffs maintain that the case is not about partisan political interest but about transparency, due process, stakeholder consultation and public confidence in the administration of the 2027 elections. They 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.
The controversy has drawn sharp reactions from political parties in the state. The Action Peoples Party, through its Imo State Chairman, Hon. Ernest Njesi, said any alteration to established electoral arrangements must be subjected to clear legal and administrative procedures, adequate stakeholder consultation and publicly verifiable justification. The party said decisions capable of affecting an entire federal constituency should not be taken unilaterally or without adequate explanation to political parties, candidates, traditional institutions, community leaders and voters. "If insecurity is being relied upon as the basis for such a significant administrative decision, then the relevant authorities owe the public a clear explanation and verifiable evidence supporting that position," Njesi said. The APP also expressed apprehension over any similar alteration to established electoral arrangements in the Nkwerre/Isu/Njaba/Nwangele Federal Constituency and urged INEC and relevant security authorities to publicly clarify the circumstances surrounding any proposed relocation.
The Action Alliance, through its National Chairman, Chief Kenneth Udeze, went further, alleging that some political merchants and their collaborators packaged a forged document purporting to be a security report and consent letter signed by persons parading themselves as traditional rulers, youth leaders and politicians, which was smuggled to INEC headquarters in Abuja. According to Udeze, the document claimed that Urualla is no longer safe and that Ideato people have agreed to move their headquarters to Dikenafai, the community of the wife of the Governor of Imo State. "This is a big lie. It is forgery. It is an insult to Ideato Nation," Udeze said. He said Urualla has always been peaceful and has never recorded any security breach to warrant removal as headquarters, stressing that there is no security report anywhere by the Police, Department of State Services or Army declaring Urualla unsafe. He added that Ideato people were never consulted, as no council of traditional rulers in Ideato North or South, town union presidents-general, youth body, clergy or political party authorised anybody to write INEC on behalf of Ideato. Udeze alleged that those who signed the letter did so for selfish reasons and an alleged twenty million naira bribe. "What is happening is nothing but pre-rigging of the 2027 general elections. When you move the collation centre to your private estate, you have already moved the results," he alleged.
The Peoples Democratic Party in Ideato North Local Government Area has also challenged the reported relocation, demanding a reversal of the alleged move. The party's position adds to the growing chorus of opposition to the proposed change, which has united political parties across party lines in the constituency.
INEC has not issued a public statement on the matter as of Thursday. The commission'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 commission itself identifies federal constituency collation as a formal stage in the electoral results-management process, with the Federal Constituency Collation Officer responsible for collating results from the LGAs within the constituency. The plaintiffs argue 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 suit comes amid heightened political tension in Imo State ahead of the 2027 general elections, with the presidential and National Assembly elections scheduled for January 16, and the governorship and state assembly elections for February 6. The outcome of the case will determine whether the collation centre remains in Urualla or moves to Dikenafai, and whether the court finds that INEC followed the applicable legal and administrative procedures in reaching its decision. The matter is now before the Federal High Court, where the competing positions of the parties will be considered. The plaintiffs are being represented in the suit as citizens and registered voters of Ideato North who said they were directly affected by any decision concerning the administration and collation of elections in the Ideato Federal Constituency. They are asking the court to protect the integrity of the electoral process in Ideato land and ensure that any decision affecting the location of the constituency's collation centre is taken transparently, lawfully and after appropriate consultation with relevant stakeholders.
The allegations against INEC officials remain subject to judicial determination. The court has not yet set a date for the hearing of the substantive suit, and INEC has not filed its response. As the legal process unfolds, the residents of Ideato Federal Constituency and the political parties contesting the 2027 elections will be watching closely, conscious that the location of the collation centre could have significant implications for the credibility of the results and the confidence of voters in the electoral process.
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