In anticipation of the local government elections scheduled for October 5, 2024, in Rivers State, a court located in Abuja has issued an injunction preventing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from providing the 2023 voters’ register to the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC).
This decision came after a high court in Port Harcourt, the capital of Rivers State, instructed the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) to conduct the upcoming local government elections using the 2023 voters’ register. Justice I. Igwe issued this order on September 4, 2024, in a case brought by the Action People’s Party (APP) against the State Electoral Commission, the Rivers State Government, and the Governor of Rivers State.
However, on Monday, Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja intervened, preventing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from releasing the voters’ register to the RSIEC for the October 5, 2024, local government elections. The court also prohibited the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, and the Department of State Services (DSS) from providing security for the elections.
Justice Lifu issued the ruling against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) while delivering a judgment in a case filed by the All Progressives Congress (APC). He determined that the Rivers State Electoral Commission erred in setting the election date for October 5 for the 23 local governments, as it had not adhered to all pertinent laws governing the electoral process.
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The judge noted that the electoral body in Rivers State violated a provision of the law concerning local government elections by failing to publish the required 90-day notice prior to establishing the election date. Furthermore, Justice Peter Lifu emphasized that the update and revision of the voters’ register should have been completed before a legal and valid election date could be established.
The judge consequently instructed INEC not to provide the certified voter register to the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) until all legal requirements have been met. Additionally, Justice Peter Lifu prohibited RSIEC from accepting any voter register from INEC or utilizing it for the local government elections scheduled for October 5.
