The High Court of Delta State sitting in Obiaruku has granted leave to a councillor of Ukwuani Local Government Area to commence mandamus proceedings against the Chairman and Treasurer of the Council over alleged failure to disclose the council’s financial records, as required by law.
The order was made on January 19, 2026, by Justice S. L. Okeleke, following an ex parte application filed by Evans Ufeli, the lead counsel at The Chambers of Evans Ufeli on behalf of Hon. Chukwuemeke Victor, Councillor representing Ward 19, Ezhionum Kingdom, Ukwuani LGA.
In granting the application, the court held that the applicant had established sufficient interest to approach the court, being a serving councillor of the local government, and consequently ordered that the application be granted as prayed.
With the leave secured, the councillor has now filed a Motion on Notice, seeking substantive reliefs against Barrister Chiamaka Solomon Possible Ajede, Chairman of Ukwuani Local Government Council; Solomon Johnson Udih, Treasurer of the Council; and the Ukwuani Local Government Legislative House.
In the motion, brought pursuant to Order 44 Rules 1–3 of the Delta State High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules, 2018, and provisions of the Delta State Local Government Establishment Law, 2017, the applicant alleges persistent refusal by the council’s executive to publish and declare the council’s monthly revenue, income and expenditure from July 2024 to date.
The councillor is asking the court to declare that the failure of the Treasurer to publish the council’s financial records amounts to a breach of statutory duty. He is also seeking an order of mandamus compelling the council chairman to direct the treasurer to immediately publish the said financial records in compliance with the law.
In addition, the applicant is praying the court to compel the chairman to furnish the legislative arm with the council’s monthly wage bill and performance index for the 2025 budget, with copies served on each councillor.
The suit also challenges the budgetary process of the council, alleging that the 2025 draft budget was hurriedly passed within two days without proper legislative scrutiny or debate. According to the applicant, the budget allegedly combined expenditure items belonging to Ukwuani and Ika North East Local Government Areas, a development he described as illegal and opaque.
Consequently, the councillor is seeking injunctive reliefs restraining the chairman from presenting the 2026 draft budget to the legislative arm pending full compliance with statutory financial disclosure obligations. He is also asking the court to restrain the legislative house from receiving or approving the 2026 budget until the alleged breaches are remedied.
In a statement in support of the application, the councillor maintained that all internal mechanisms to compel compliance had failed, insisting that judicial intervention had become necessary in the interest of transparency, accountability and good governance at the grassroots.
