Ahead Of 2026 Imo LGA Council Election: IPAC Members Walk Out Of Meeting With ISIEC Officials

A high-level meeting between the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) and the Imo State Independent Electoral Commission (ISIEC) ended abruptly in Owerri after party leaders staged a dramatic walkout.

The closed-door session, convened by ISIEC to build confidence ahead of another round of local government elections, was intended to ease lingering tensions from last year’s controversial polls. Instead, it descended into heated arguments and open confrontation.

Present at the meeting were ISIEC Chairman, Chief Charles Ejiogu, two commissioners, and top officials in charge of voter education, election monitoring, finance, and administration. On the other side, the IPAC delegation was led by its state chairman, Ichie Levi Eke, alongside party executives and chairmen of registered political parties. Their attendance signaled the importance IPAC attached to the talks.

Although details remain unclear, multiple sources confirmed that the discussions were far from cordial. The atmosphere reportedly turned tense, with raised voices, finger-pointing, and mounting frustration, before IPAC representatives abruptly stormed out.

At the core of the dispute is IPAC’s longstanding complaint that the Imo State government has failed to provide the financial and logistical support usually extended to the council in other states. According to insiders, IPAC views this neglect as a deliberate attempt to weaken political parties ahead of the coming polls.

“The opposite is the case here, and this is unacceptable to IPAC,” one source familiar with the talks said, reflecting the deep dissatisfaction among party leaders.

Observers at the meeting described ISIEC’s posture as dismissive and unresponsive to the concerns raised. Despite efforts by the commission’s officials to de-escalate tensions, the atmosphere was described as “charged and irreconcilable” by the time IPAC members walked out.

The incident has fueled speculation of an impending standoff between political parties and the state electoral body, raising fears of possible boycotts of the 2026 local government elections.

As of press time, neither ISIEC nor the Imo State government had issued an official response. IPAC, however, is expected to brief the media in the coming days on its next steps.