The Ebonyi State House of Assembly has opposed plans by the Ebonyi State Independent Electoral Commission to conduct council elections in the state on April 25. The lawmakers, in a statement by the Clerk of the House, Rose Nwokporo, on Tuesday, said the elections could not hold because of a pending suit at the Appeal Court, Enugu, challenging the judgment of the Federal High Court, Abakaliki, Ebonyi, which nullified the council election held on October 5, 2013. The lawmakers called on the electoral commission to suspend every process connected with the conduct of the council election until the pending appeal was determined. The statement read, “We further urge members of the public and political parties to withhold any notice, as there will not be any local government election in the state pending the determination of the suit. “The Federal High court had nullified earlier the council elections in the state on the grounds that the open ballot system adopted by the EBSIEC negated the right to individual privacy.” The lawmakers also frowned on the legality of appointing and inaugurating the 13 caretaker committee chairmen by the state governor, Martin Elechi, without presenting them for screening. The Director of Media and Publicity of a stakeholder group, Divine Mandate Campaign Organisation, Abia Onyike, in statement, also kicked against the elections on the grounds that the terminal date of the current administration in the state was less than four months.