Court Halts INEC from Providing Voters’ Register for Rivers LG Election

A Federal High Court in Abuja, on Monday, restrained the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from releasing the voters’ register to the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) for the upcoming local government elections scheduled for October 5, 2024.

The court also prohibited the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and the Department of State Services (DSS) from providing security for the election.

Justice Peter Lifu issued the ruling while delivering judgment on a case brought before the court by the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The APC was represented by a team of Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs), including Joseph Daudu, Sebastine Hon, and Ogwu James Onoja.

In his judgment, Justice Lifu criticised the RSIEC for setting the October 5 election date without adhering to the necessary legal frameworks.

He pointed out that the electoral body failed to comply with the laws guiding the conduct of local government elections in the state.

The judge highlighted a key violation, noting that RSIEC did not issue the mandatory 90-day notice required by law before setting the election date.

He further stressed that the process of updating and revising the voters’ register must be completed before any election date can be legally set.

As a result, Justice Lifu ordered INEC not to release the certified voters’ register to RSIEC until all legal requirements are met.

He also barred RSIEC from accepting or using any voters’ register provided by INEC for the October 5 local government polls.

This ruling adds a significant legal hurdle for the RSIEC as the date for the election approaches, raising questions about whether the election will proceed as planned.