A Federal High Court in Abuja has once again prohibited the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from providing the voters register to the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC), which is necessary for the upcoming local government elections scheduled for October 5, 2024.
The court also restricted the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and the Department of State Services (DSS) from offering security for the elections.
Justice Peter Lifu made this ruling while delivering a judgment on a case brought by the All Progressives Congress (APC). The APC’s legal team, consisting of prominent senior lawyers Joseph Daudu, Sebastine Hon, and Ogwu James Onoja, argued the case on behalf of the party.
Justice Lifu determined that the RSIEC erred in setting the election date without adhering to the necessary legal requirements. He pointed out that the electoral body failed to comply with local government election laws, particularly by not issuing the required 90 days’ notice before announcing the election date.
The judge emphasized that the update and revision of the voter register must be completed before officially fixing an election date. Consequently, he ordered INEC to withhold the certified voter register from RSIEC until all legal stipulations were met.
Additionally, Justice Lifu prohibited RSIEC from accepting any voter register from INEC or utilizing it for the October 5 local government elections. Compose MessageCompose MessageCompose Message
