The Ebonyi State Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Dr. Jennifer Adibe-Nwafor, has announced that nomination forms for the August 2026 Local Government Elections in the state have been fixed at ₦500,000 for chairmanship aspirants and ₦150,000 for councillorship aspirants.

Speaking in an interview with journalists in Abakaliki, Dr. Adibe-Nwafor said the party has made provisions to promote inclusiveness by waiving nomination fees for women and persons with disabilities, provided they are registered members of the party.

She disclosed that several aspirants—particularly those seeking councillorship positions—have already obtained nomination forms, describing the level of interest as encouraging.

According to her, the sale of nomination forms commenced on January 24, 2026, and will close on February 1, 2026, in line with the party’s electoral timetable. Party primaries for both chairmanship and councillorship positions, she added, are scheduled to hold on February 2, 2026.

Dr. Adibe-Nwafor called on the Chairman of the Ebonyi State Independent Electoral Commission (EBSIEC), Mr. Enyi Patrick, to ensure that the August 2026 council polls are transparent, credible, and fair.

“Let me use this forum to state that the Ebonyi State chapter of ADC is fully prepared to participate in the forthcoming local government elections. We have commenced the sale of nomination forms for interested aspirants,” she said.

She expressed confidence that the EBSIEC chairman would provide a level playing field for all political parties and dismissed fears that ADC candidates might be disadvantaged.

“I want to disabuse the minds of our supporters that candidates contesting on our platform will be disadvantaged. Across the country, several political parties have emerged victorious in local government elections conducted by state electoral bodies,” she stated.

She further urged EBSIEC to ensure prompt announcement of results at polling centres and immediate issuance of result sheets to political parties.

“Results should be announced at polling centres and issued to all parties. If this is done, we are good to go,” she added.

Dr. Adibe-Nwafor also noted that ADC candidates are financially capable of prosecuting their campaigns, with support expected from party stakeholders and grassroots structures across the state.

She revealed that the party has recorded a significant surge in membership across Ebonyi State, disclosing that over 8,000 new members have been registered in some wards following defections from other political parties, including prominent figures from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

She said the ADC is intensifying grassroots engagement to strengthen its structure ahead of the elections and urged members to remain loyal to the party.

Meanwhile, the 2023 governorship candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in Ebonyi State, Mr. Eze Oko Splendour, has berated the Ebonyi State Independent Electoral Commission (EBSIEC) over its alleged refusal to issue nomination forms to the party.

Mr. Oko, in an interview with journalists in Abakaliki, described the development as worrisome and unfortunate, stating that all efforts by the party to obtain the necessary forms from the electoral body had proved abortive.

He alleged that when party officials visited the EBSIEC office to collect the forms, staff of the commission refused to issue them and denied access to the chairman or secretary of the commission.

“Yes, we want to participate in the forthcoming local government elections in the state, but regrettably, when our people went to EBSIEC to collect forms, the staff refused to issue them. Attempts to see the chairman or secretary were unsuccessful,” he said.