Ahead of the local government elections scheduled for October 5, 2024, in Rivers State, an Abuja-based court has issued an order preventing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from releasing the 2023 voters’ register to the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC).
This decision follows an earlier ruling by a high court in Port Harcourt, the capital of Rivers State, which had mandated that RSIEC must use the 2023 voters’ register for the upcoming elections. The order was issued by Justice I. Igwe on September 4, 2024, in response to a case filed by the Action People’s Party (APP) against RSIEC, the Rivers State Government, and the Governor of Rivers State.
However, on Monday, Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja ruled that INEC is prohibited from providing the voters’ register to RSIEC for the October 5 local government elections. In addition, the court barred the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, and the Department of State Services (DSS) from providing security for the election.
Justice Lifu’s ruling came after a lawsuit was filed by the All Progressives Congress (APC). In his judgment, the judge determined that RSIEC was wrong to schedule the election for October 5 without adhering to the necessary legal procedures. Specifically, he noted that the Rivers State Electoral Commission had failed to comply with key legal requirements, including the failure to issue the mandatory 90-day notice prior to setting the election date.
The judge also emphasized that the updating and revision of the voters’ register should have been completed before a valid election date could be set. As a result, Justice Lifu ordered that INEC must not provide the certified voters’ register to RSIEC until all legal obligations have been met.
Furthermore, Justice Lifu barred RSIEC from accepting or using any voters’ register from INEC for the October 5 local government elections, effectively halting the election process until the legal requirements are fully complied with.
