A federal high court in Abuja has barred the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from releasing the 2023 voter register to the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC).
The local government election in the state is scheduled for October 5.
The All Progressives Congress (APC), in an originating summons marked FHC/ABJ/CS/987/2024, sought a declaration that “INEC is bound to manage the updating and revising of the voter register in such a manner as to ensure that the process stops not later than 90 days before the council poll”.
The party argued that the state independent electoral commission has not met the conditions required for the conduct of the LG election in Rivers.
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The respondents had challenged the jurisdiction of the court to hear the suit, including on the grounds that the matter was statute-barred.
Delivering judgment on Monday, Peter Lifu, presiding judge, agreed with the submissions of the plaintiffs.
The court barred RSIEC from accepting any voter register from INEC or using it for the local government election.
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The court also barred the inspector-general of police and the Department of State Services (DSS) from providing security for the exercise.
Lifu held that RSIEC was wrong for fixing a date for the poll in the 23 local governments when all relevant laws guiding the election had not been complied with.
Among others, the judge further held that the Rivers electoral commission violated a provision of local government election law, by not publishing the mandatory 90-day notice before fixing a date.
The court also held that the update and revision of the voters’ register ought to have been concluded before an election date is fixed.
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Consequently, Lifu ordered INEC not to make the certified voter register available to RSIEC until the law has been fully complied with.
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